The Marriage Law
by teshara
Summary: When Hermione Granger and Severus Snape are thrown together by the ill-conceived Marriage Law, no one doubts they'll make a good undercover team for the Order. No one suspects that they'll find mutual respect, love, and a plot to destroy the world.
1. The Petition

"Are you sure, Severus?" Albus Dumbledore asked the nervous man sitting in front of him. He peered at him seriously over the tops of his half-moon spectacles. "You are under no obligation to do this."

Severus Snape squirmed uncomfortably in his seat under the penetrating gaze of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore was holding a parchment that would legally bind Severus to one of his students, one that he was not particularly fond of, one Miss Hermione Granger, a Muggle born witch from London.

The Headmasters pointed, purple velvet hat rested on a corner of the high backed chair that he was sitting on. His white hair and beard flowed over his shoulders and down the front of his robes as his deep blue eyes rested on Severus.

"Yes," Severus forced himself to say, a pained look crossing his features. He reached a hand up to pinch the skin between his eyes.

There was a pause as the headmaster's eyes seemed to look into him.

"Very well then," Dumbledore sighed and handed the parchment over to Severus.

He took it with trembling hands and slid his wand out of his robes. He pointed it at the document and there was a small flash of white light.

Severus Snape looked ill as he handed it back to Dumbledore. "It's done."

* * *

Hermione Granger was enjoying breakfast in the Great Hall with her classmates when a large barn owl swooped over the table and dropped a light blue scroll in front of her.

Her hand froze halfway to her pumpkin juice and the color drained from her face.

_Ministry of Magic: Department of Matrimonial Destiny_ was stamped across the scroll in decorative silver script.

"You're not 18 yet, Hermione," said Ron Weasley, looking at the scroll, stunned.

"I know that," Hermione squeaked as if the offending mail was going to jump up and bite her.

"Then what's that for?" he asked, sounding frantic.

"I don't know!" cried Hermione in a panicked voice, leaving the scroll untouched near her plate.

Harry Potter reached out and took it. He unrolled it and read.

"It seems your experiences with time manipulation have been taken into consideration when determining the date of your availability," Harry raised his eyebrows.

Hermione snorted. The Marriage Law. Another crackpot idea from the Ministry of Magic to insure future generations of the Wizarding community. The latest idea was to reduce the status of Muggle born witches to chattel and allow pure blooded wizards to petition for their hand.

"You had three offers in the first hour of your availability, so you're being allowed to pick your mate." Harry scanned the page. "I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said softly.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Ron said outraged.

"You wouldn't be allowed," Harry explained patiently, before Ron had a violent outburst and lost them the House Cup. "You're still under age, and your brothers are spoken for."

Hermione quietly dug in her bag for a quill. Ron watched as she scribbled on the parchment and rolled it back up. She held it aloft and the owl that had delivered it swooped down from the rafters to carry it back to the Ministry.

"So that's it?" Ron asked, quietly.

"I guess so," said Hermione.

"Who did you choose?" asked Harry.

"Who did you have to choose from?" asked Ron.

"Gregory Goyle, Aurellius Ollivander, and Severus Snape," Hermione said, blinking blankly.

"Are you _serious?"_ asked Ron, his voice full of outrage.

He felt utterly helpless. He and Hermione had never made things official, but he had always planned to settle down with her when he had enough to offer. Now the Ministry had swept her away before they even had a chance. He had watched the same thing happen to Percy after Penelope had been mated to a tailor in Brighton. She was legal property of someone else now.

"Who did you choose?" Harry asked quietly.

"Snape, of course," hissed Hermione annoyed. "He's in the Order. He must have petitioned for me because of that."

"That would make sense," Ron said, looking a bit more positive. "He's going to save you from the whole thing."

"Well, I'll get to thank him later," Hermione said, taking her planner out of her bag.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"We're getting married tonight," Hermione said, jotting down a note in her planner.


	2. The Ceremony

Hermione stood in front of a full length mirror frowning at what she saw. Light cream colored wedding robes swished around her ankles as Lavender Brown stood behind Hermione, rubbing her arms as if chilled. The room was quite warm.

"I don't know, Hermione," said Lavender suspiciously. "It's creepy if you ask me."

"He has just as much right as anyone to choose a bride," said Hermione as she leaned towards the mirror and swabbed light blue eye shadow over her eyelids.

"You know precisely what she means," said Parvati Patil sharply. "I don't approve of this law and neither does she. Besides, he's a _teacher."_

"Nevertheless, the law exists." Hermione rustled through a white leather makeup bag and pulled out her mascara. "I don't intend to be a fugitive. Or have my memory modified to make me more compliant. Or just given to someone."

Parvati shook her head, unable to come up with another answer. A soft knock came from the door.

"Come in," Hermione called out. Professor McGonagall came through the door, followed by Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister.

"Professor!" Hermione exclaimed brightly. "This must be a first! I don't recall you ever visiting us before." She smiled.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling well," McGonagall said carefully, as if expecting Hermione to burst into hysterical sobbing at any second.

"I'm feeling fine," Hermione said, sounding a little hysterical. "A little nervous, but altogether I feel fine."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. She was dressed in pale blue robes and was holding a small cluster of pink and white wildflowers.

"I'm glad you're going to be in the ceremony, Ginny," said Hermione, turning her attention to her friend. "I know it was short notice."

What she was really concerned with was whether Ginny wanted to be her friend anymore.

"Don't worry about it," Ginny said with a wave of her flowers and a grin. "What you should worry about is your dad."

"My dad?" Hermione said questioningly. Realization dawned on her. "My _parents_ are here?"

"Of course," McGonagall said. "The Ministry owled them about the betrothal, as well notifying them when the ceremony would be."

"He's been yelling at Snape for about a half an hour now," said Ginny giggling.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He let him get on a roll," she sighed. "If you let him start he never lets up. You need to cut him off early before he gains too much speed."

"For some reason, he thinks that Snape has been perving after you for the last 7 years and he's furious," Ginny said, eyebrows raised in excitement.

"I've got to stop this." Hermione started out of the room.

"Nonsense," McGonagall said steering her back to the mirror. "Dumbledore will break it up when he thinks it's gone on too long."

Hermione turned back to her makeup bag, although hesitantly. She pulled out tweezers and began plucking at her eyebrows.

"Your things will be moved from Gryffindor Tower before the end of the ceremony," McGonagall said quickly, as if wanting to get the words out and done with.

"Moved?" Hermione said quizzically. "To where?"

"Your new husbands quarters," said McGonagall with a bitter look on her face. "You are married, of course."

Lavender pulled her robes around herself tighter.

"Of course," Hermione said hollowly. She didn't know why the details had failed to elude her before. True, he was keeping her away from the Death Eaters, and apparently Mr. Ollivander, who she would never look at in the same way ever again, but he didn't have to make this pleasant for her.

He could ignore her, ship her off, no one would stop him and more than a few people probably already suspected that was exactly what was going to happen.

"It's almost time for the ceremony, Hermione," Ginny said quickly. "We should get going."

Parvati lifted a lace veil out of a bag and pinned it to Hermione's soft curls.

"You'll be fine," Parvati said. "Don't look so terrified. I'm sure he has some redeemable qualities."

"Like what?" snapped Lavender.

"She can now bottle fame, brew glory-" Ginny began. The Gryffindor girls giggled.

"Don't tell me he's still giving that inane speech." McGonagall said sharply. She looked appalled.

"He gets better at flapping for emphasis every year," said Hermione jokingly. "Maybe I can put a stop to that."

Lavender handing her a bouquet of white roses. "You can stop it later; first you have to get the deed done."

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. Her robes were tasteful. Pleated to make the skirt look fuller, and cut a little long in the back so she had a train. The veil was white and woven with gold threads to make it shimmer warmly. Her makeup made her face look blemish free and her cheeks were flushed with nervousness.

"I'm ready," Hermione said, letting her breath out.

Ginny opened the door and the group of women walked down the staircase, descending to the Great Hall where Hermione's betrothed waited for her.

* * *

Hermione stood behind Ginny as soft music tinkled from the Great Hall. Ginny hugged her quickly before starting a slow march through the double doors.

Hermione's father stood beside Hermione and took her arm. He stood slightly shorter than her, his silver hair shining in the candlelight.

"He'll take care of you," said her father gruffly. "From what I understand it was the best option. It was between him and Mundungus."

Hermione choked back a laugh at the idea. "I suppose so."

"I'm sorry, kitten," Hermione's father said, trying not to get emotional. Hermione heard the strain in his voice.

"Dad, it'll be alright," Hermione hugged him; not knowing whether or not it would at all.

Her father wiped his eyes hastily with a handkerchief and looked at her. "You look beautiful," he said straightening her veil.

"Thanks, Dad." She took his arm and they began the slow march up to the podium that had been moved to the front of the Great Hall.

The long tables had been moved to encircle the room where presents and food were stacked. The long benches were positioned to watch the ceremony.

"Amazing what people can do on such short notice," Hermione whispered to her father, staring at the sea of heads, not really recognizing anyone. He chuckled at her.

She could see Snape as she approached the front of the hall. He was wearing a high collared white shirt and black long coat with a white flower pinned to it. A burgundy ascot lay at his throat and his raven hair was caught behind his neck with a white silk ribbon. Hermione couldn't help but notice he actually looked a little handsome when he wasn't sneering in disgust at life in general.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn and she stared at the long red carpet leading her to him. As her father put her hand in Snapes she felt her veins burn with an ice cold heat.

Dumbledore began chanting the binding spell that entwined their families together magically andHermione heard herself recite the appropriate words at the right times. Snape spoke as well, and finally Dumbledore closed the book, ending the ceremony.

Nothing prepared her for the feel of his lips on hers. They were warm. Not dry at all. The gentle pressure startled her and she jumped slightly.

Snape drew back and frowned for a split second. Then he turned to the nearest exit and grabbed her arm roughly. He stalked down the aisle, dragging her behind him. They left the Great Hall and down to the dungeons.

"Aren't we even going to eat?" Hermione asked as she stumbled along behind him.

"There is food in my quarters," said Snape stiffly. "Didn't you see who was present?"

"No," said Hermione crossly. "I didn't get to see much of anything."

"There were several unsavory persons from the Ministry that I wouldn't put past the idea of slipping potions into the food," said Snape, frowning.

"Veritaserum?" Hermione asked as a portal behind a statue of a large stone fish opened.

"Possibly," said Snape bitterly, stepping into his quarters. "If they felt particularly kind."

The room wasn't very large. A couch sat in front of a fireplace that was set into the same wall as the entry way, a low table was filled with platters and bowls of the food that was available downstairs. Behind that, a window overlooked the lake; a small table and chair sat underneath it. A door was set into the wall to Hermione's right.

"I wish I would have gotten to say good bye to my parents," said Hermione in an odd voice as she watched the portal shrink closed, cutting them off from the rest of the castle.

"I know this may be difficult for you, Hermione," Snape said slowly. "Your parents were told I would be taking you away right after the ceremony. They were told to mingle for awhile, and then someone will bring them here. They have been told not to sample the food downstairs."

"I hear my dad gave you a hard time." Hermione winced in sympathy.

Snape snorted. "Nothing unexpected. I would do the same thing for my daughter," he thought for a moment. "There would have been more fire, of course."

Hermione stifled a giggle, though not very well. Snape looked at her sharply. It didn't help.

"Your quarters are in here," said Snape, walking to a portrait of a sleeping black cat on the wall to the left. He meowed at it and the picture stretched and rose._"Emicoatus."_

The cat yawned and its mouth grew wider. So wide in fact, that it began to cover the canvas. "Is this supposed to happen?" Hermione asked Snape. He nodded. He looked as if he were trying to fight back a smirk.

The wide grin began to stretch the stone frame, revealing a room behind it, and all of the color in the painting drained away and turned grey. When it finally stopped transforming, it had widened into an arched doorframe with two tiny points at the top.

"Who came up with this?" Hermione asked, amazed.

"Helga Hufflepuff, according to legend," said Snape, stiffly. "These were her original quarters, supposedly. I'm still not sure I've found all of the charms."

Hermione stepped through the doorway and blinked at her room. The deep burgundy and gold she was accustomed to was gone, replaced with a deep midnight blue and accented with silver trim.

"You'd think I was a Ravenclaw," she remarked, frowning.

"They originally tried red, but the house elves complained they were seeing pink after spending any amount of time in here," Snape said.

"I see," said Hermione slowly.

"One house elf in particular took it upon himself to make sure it was up to his specifications," Snape said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh dear," said Hermione wincing. "I hope Dobby wasn't too much trouble."

"I daresay I wouldn't have thought of as many details had he not been involved. It made an easier transition for all involved." Snape pushed a panel on her wall and it opened into a small bathroom.

Hermione had been looking at the king sized canopy bed. The frame was wrought iron with silver vines painted over it, twining up into the fabric. The comforter was velvet and such a deep blue it was almost black. It was very soft to the touch and Hermione suspected it was enchanted. Crookshanks was already purring merrily in the center of it.

"Well, you've certainly made yourself at home," Hermione remarked to him. Crookshanks yawned widely and pulled himself to his feet. A pool of long ginger hair remained where he had been sleeping.

Velvet. What was Dobby thinking?

Crookshanks padded over to her and butted her hand with his head. She stroked him for a few seconds and he flopped back on the comforter. "Lazy," she accused.

"There's a passage for familiars so you needn't worry about him getting locked in here."

Hermione turned back to Severus and he showed her a bathroom that looked as if it were carved from a single piece of stone. The ceiling and upper half of the walls were enchanted to look like the night sky, much like the Great Hall. Water streamed from a small waterfall coming out of the wall and collected into a deep pool that steamed invitingly. Small ferns and flowers grew in small pockets of earth set in the stone. Her bathroom things were arranged on stone shelves flanking a mirror above a carved stone sink. Celtic knot work flowed around the mirror and sink.

"This is incredible," Hermione awed. "She took this much time to do a bathroom? Why aren't you using it?"

"I don't believe bathing should be an out of doors experience," he sniffed imperiously. "I understand she took her bathing time seriously."

"No kidding," said Hermione looking at the openmouthed frog fixtures. A soft knock resounded from the main room.

"I think your parents are here," Snape said, shivering. Hermione stifled a grin.

Snape walked to his receiving room and opened the entry way to his chambers. Dumbledore walked through the portal. Alone.

"Would you like some food, Headmaster?" Hermione said politely, wondering where her parents were.

"Yes, thank you," said Dumbledore walking over to a tea service Hermione had not spotted on a shelf. He poured himself a cup and went to fill his plate from the assortment of food on the table. "Your parents will not be joining us, however." Dumbledore looked at Hermione over the top of his gold wire-rimmed glasses.

"It seems your father was so nervous he forgot the warning to refrain from eating," Dumbledore quickly glanced at Snape.

"What happened?" Hermione paled.

"Nothing all that serious," Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand. "Just got hold of a prototype. He'll be fine in a few days."

"A Weasley Wizard Wheezes prototype?" Snape asked, his face turning stony.

"Yes, that would be the company," Dumbledore said quickly. "Muffin?" He held his plate out to Hermione.

"What happened?" Hermione groaned as she declined. "I'm assuming it was just a shape-changing spell. They're working on pigs now, aren't they?"

"Actually, they're working on shrinking," said Dumbledore.

"How big is he?" Snape asked, uncharacteristically interested. He reached for a turkey leg and picked at it with his fingers instead of biting into it. Hermione was amazed at how neatly he could eat something so… primitive.

"About the size of a mouse," Dumbledore admitted.

Snape nodded. "How long until it wears off?"

"A week," Dumbledore said cheerfully. He turned to Hermione. "Your mother was just saying he needed to take some time off."

"Where is he now?" Hermione asked with a grin, in spite of herself. Leave it to the twins to force someone into a magically induced vacation.

"St. Mungo's," Dumbledore and Snape said in unison.

"It's the only place with the capabilities to care for someone that's shrunk themselves," Snape said as Hermione looked surprised.

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you, Severus?" Dumbledore remarked with a twinkle in his eye.

"You shrunk yourself?" Hermione asked Snape, trying not to smile too wide.

"It wasn't intentional, I assure you." Snape snorted, picking at his turkey leg.

"During his O.W.L.s," Dumbledore said, shaking his head with a smile.

" St. Mungo's has excellent facilities," Snape explained to Hermione. "He'll have a fully functioning home made out of balsa wood. When he expands he'll just break out, as it were."

"I take it mum went with him?" Hermione asked Dumbledore. He nodded as he sipped his tea.

Hermione felt her stomach lurch. She was married and she barely got to see her parents. She looked at the table of food near her and her stomach growled insistently.

"I heard that from here," Snape said. "Eat or you'll make yourself sick."

Hermione put a little turkey and fruit on her plate. Snape looked displeased, but stayed silent.

"Well," said Dumbledore, setting his plate down and clapping his hands together. "This has been quite an exciting day. I suppose you'll want to get some sleep before classes tomorrow."

He rose and Snape led him to the door.

"Goodnight, Hermione," Dumbledore said, waving at her before he stepped out.

"Goodnight," she said weakly, returning his wave. The portal shrunk silently behind him as he went.

She was alone with Snape.

Hermione had been alone with Snape before, but never as a part of his household. She supposed she was going to have to learn to adapt. She nibbled at her food, and discovered how hungry she truly was. She looked up and realized Snape was cutting into a slab of vanilla frosted chocolate cake. It was decorated with small blue rosettes.

"What?" Hermione heard Snape ask as he realized she was staring at him.

"It's just-" she began. "That's my wedding cake."

"Do you want to help cut it?" Snape asked frowning.

"No," she said testily. "I was just- this was the last thing I was expecting when I went to bed last night."

"There was nothing else we could do," Snape said as he sat down on the couch.

"I understand," said Hermione quietly. "There's only a month left until end of term, what will happen then?"

"We'll figure that out later," said Snape shoving some of his cake onto her plate. "For the meantime we kept you away from several unsavory elements."

"Mr. Ollivander is a Deatheater?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Gads, no," Snape said. "He's just a lecherous old man in need of an heir. Or two. Or a dozen."

Hermione shivered. Crookshanks padded into the room and leapt on the couch between Snape and Hermione. Hermione stroked his fur and he purred happily. He butted his flat orange face into Snapes hand. Snape scratched him behind the ears.

"I have scrolls to grade, cat," Snape said, as if this would help. Crookshanks just purred louder and crawled onto his lap.

"Is he always this distracting?" Snape asked frowning at the content cat that was kneading his leg.

"It's easier if you don't let him onto your lap until after you're at your desk," said Hermione shrugging. She reached over and picked up her cat, who made an irritated noise at her. "I'll take him. I have a paper to write, anyway."

Snape rose as Hermione walked to her room.

"Good night," Hermione said as she walked through the stone archway. It shrunk once she was in, and the gilded frame with the portal guardian began to reappear once again. The black cat completed his yawn and stretched. It purred contentedly as it settled back onto its pillow.

Snape turned to look at the table of food the elves had brought up. It would be cleared away by the morning as if it had never been there. He shook his head as he realized he still had papers to grade. He cleared off a sizable platter and took enough food to last him through the evening, including the cake. Grading papers always made him hungry.

Snape glanced over his shoulder at the picture of the cat on the wall.

His _wife_ was behind it.

He shook his body to ward off the chills he felt coming. One day at a time. They had no choice.


	3. The Day After

Hermione woke in the morning and rolled over to stare at the deep blue underside of her canopy. She smelled food. Her stomach growled loudly.

She wasn't sure _why_ she smelled food. She pulled back the curtain of her bed to find a tray set with her breakfast, complete with a rose sitting on the napkin. Next to the rose was a pair of knitted socks, embellished with Celtic knot work.

Hermione smiled as she reached for the tray. She would have to thank Dobby later for his thoughtfulness. As she carefully pulled it to her lap, Crookshanks showed sudden interest.

"Shoo, Crookshanks," Hermione said gently pushing his nose away from her plate. She tore off a tiny bit of her toast and soaked it in her egg yolk for a moment, before giving it to the cat. He purred loudly and Hermione's eyes trailed over his coat, wondering if he needed more protein in his diet.

As Hermione ate, she wondered if breakfast in bed was going to be a normal occurrence now she was a teacher's wife. She shook her head at the thought. Everyone else ate in the Great Hall. She should as well.

She would speak to Dobby later, although the meal in her quarters certainly did allow her more time to get prepared for the day.

After she finished eating, Hermione rose and dressed. After she had buckled her cloak, she spoke the word that would open her chamber door. She vaguely wondered what would happen if she lost her voice.

In her new receiving room she was greeted by the sight of her husband's arse. He was on all fours looking under the coffee table. It wasn't an unpleasing sight, she decided.

She stared for a moment before she remembered herself.

"Do you need help?" she asked inquisitively. He banged his head on the underside of the table and she jumped at the sound.

"I seem to have lost my favorite pen," Snape said, rubbing his head.

"Don't you use a quill?" asked Hermione.

"I break too many quills," Snape said, poking his hand under the couch. "This is a glass pen. Black. Twisted end."

Crookshanks jumped on the couch with something in his mouth.

"Oh," said Snape, looking pleased. "Thank you." He took a glass pen from Crookshanks.

Hermione snorted. "He probably stole it in the first place."

"Don't steal my pen," Snape shook a finger firmly at the cat in front of him. Crookshanks sniffed his finger and began scratching himself on it. "It's a lost cause, isn't it?"

"Probably," said Hermione looking into her bag. "Just keep it safe from now on."

"Naughty kitty," Snape said firmly, but continued scratching Crookshanks behind the ears. "By the way, the strangest thing happened this morning…"

"What?" asked Hermione checking her watch. Plenty of time to check in with Ron and Harry before Herbology.

"My breakfast was ready near my bed," Snape said. "And whoever put it there seems to think I need more creative footwear."

"Dobby," Hermione snorted. "I'll talk to him. He did the same for me."

"Well, perhaps he thought it a special occasion," said Snape as he packed a small black satchel. "I'll see you in class."

"Until then, Professor," Hermione said as she double-checked her own belongings.

"Please call me Severus when we're not in class," Snape said quietly, not looking at her. "We may be together for some time. We might as well get used to the idea…Hermione."

"Well then," said Hermione slowly. "Until then, Severus."

He quirked a corner of his mouth again. "Until then."

* * *

"He didn't do a thing," said Hermione in annoyed tone as she approached Ron and Harry. Ron let out a sigh of relief and she shot him a disgusted look. Harry just grinned at her as they entered Greenhouse 5 and put on their work robes.

"Probably nice, having private quarters," Harry said, trying to see the bright side of things.

"It's actually very nice," admitted Hermione, rummaging through her bag for her dragon hide gloves. "Dobby oversaw the arrangements himself. Do you know Snape supposedly has the quarters Helga Hufflepuff built?"

"Wow," said Ron, instantly interested. "She was supposed to be really keen on enchantments and charms."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "It's really impressive." She described her room, complete with yawning cat.

"I bet that's not even a tenth of it, Hermione," said Ron excitedly. "I'd poke everything you could in there. You'll probably find loads of hidden stuff."

"I'll keep it in mind." Hermione grinned as Professor Sprout entered the greenhouse, dragging a bagged sapling behind her.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Lavender looked as if she were going to cry.

"For what?" Hermione asked, startled.

"Having to…" Lavender shuddered, looking at the teachers table. Snape frowned at the Gryffindor table. "You know."

"He really isn't evil," said Hermione insistently. "Just… private. And has very few social skills."

Parvati shrugged. "My grandparents' marriage was arranged. They learned to fancy each other after a while."

"Really?" Lavender asked, her face aghast. "I couldn't imagine."

"Enough to have 7 kids," Parvati went on, reaching for a muffin. "You never know. They're still married."

Hermione bit into her sandwich. She didn't want to think of having grandchildren with Severus. Or children for that matter. That would mean they would have to-

"I hope he didn't force himself on you," Lavender said suddenly.

"He was a perfect gentleman," said Hermione hotly.

"Of course he was," said Parvati quickly. "No one should think anything less."

* * *

Severus Snape sat at the Head Table watching the Gryffindors eating their lunch. The 7th year girls seemed unusually animated. Hermione seemed to be handling the situation well, and it looked like Miss Patil was keeping things civilized.

Severus looked at his plate and began pushing his food around. Once again he was the subject of ridicule. The students thought he was a pervert and most of the staff was being rather formal with him.

"It will pass, Severus," said a voice near him. Severus looked up into the twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

"I know," said Severus, actually taking a bite of his food. "It just seems to take longer every time."

"There's a Quidditch game this evening," Dumbledore said with a wide smile. "That will distract them. It always does."

"Perhaps," said Severus with snort, but he did feel a little better.

* * *

"Madam Snape, would you stay for a moment after class?"

Neville looked at Hermione as if he felt truly sorry for her before gathering his things and leaving the classroom, casting a worried glance over his shoulder. The class emptied and Hermione found herself alone with her husband.

"There's a Quidditch match tonight," Severus reminded her, grading scrolls spread all over his desk. "You may sit in the staff box if you wish."

"Pardon?" Hermione gave him a confused look.

"Since Potter and Weasley will be playing I thought you might like a better view." He looked up from the assortment of scrolls on his desk. His black eyes seemed to bore into her. "The faculty box has extra space, if you should want to sit with me."

"Of course," Hermione said hurriedly. Of course they should appear together in public as much as possible. "That would be nice."

Hermione changed into warmer clothing after that evening's dinner and looked at herself her mirror. She twisted her hair back behind her head and arranged a red scarf over it. Then she grabbed her warmest cloak and walked into the sitting room to meet her husband.

Snape was sitting on his couch marking scrolls with comments in red ink. He seemed to be making a lot of them, but to Hermione's surprise, he hardly looked happy about it. He looked up as she walked into the room. "Think it might be a bit cold?"

"Better safe than sorry," admitted Hermione. She looked at the pile of scrolls in front of him. "Are you going to be able to go?"

"Yes," he sighed as he set his quill down. He looked tired. "Sometimes it's like trying to push water uphill."

"What year?" Hermione asked, picking up a scroll.

"Sixth," said Severus, putting his pen down and rubbing his eyes. "Properties of cardiospermum."

"Well this one is awful," said Hermione wrinkling her nose in distaste, as if the essay had offended her.

"I think I should make them do it again, but twice as long," Severus said decisively as he rose to grab his cloak.

"What do you think that's going to solve?" Hermione asked as she set the scroll back on the table.

"What?" Severus asked, as if he didn't understand the question.

"It's not going to do any good to have terrible essays twice as long." Hermione shook her head. "Give them a project so they can see it."

"Those are expensive ingredients," Severus pointed out, reaching for a black knitted hat.

"So, just have one pair do it and have the rest of the class discuss and take notes." Hermione rolled the scroll back up and placed it back on the table.

He seemed to think about this for a moment. "Perhaps."

* * *

"Where's Hermione?" Lavender asked Parvati as she scanned the stands with a pair of Muggle binoculars.

"Probably with _her husband."_ Parvati rolled her eyes.

"She is!" Lavender squealed a confirmation as she spotted Hermione in the staff box. "I don't know how she can stand it!"

"It could have been a _lot_ worse," said Parvati. She nodded toward the Slytherin stands where Goyle was glowering at the staff box.

"I guess you're right," Lavender said with a shiver. "Somehow I doubt her other suitors would be as civilized." She shook her head resignedly.

Hermione watched as Ravenclaw and Gryffindor took the field. The wind had picked up and she and Severus were the only ones, aside from Dumbledore, that weren't shivering.

"Good call," Severus muttered under his breath as the wind picked up and several staff members pulled their cloaks around themselves tightly. He reached under his cloak for a packet of crisps. He opened it and offered it to Hermione and took a few.

Severus looked up as the whistle blew. Ravenclaw scored almost immediately.

"Damn!" Hermione and Severus barked out in unison. Hermione looked at Severus.

"I have a galleon riding on this game," he admitted sheepishly.

"You bet on Gryffindor?" Hermione asked unbelievingly.

"Professor Sprout insisted Ravenclaw was going to sweep the game," grumbled Severus.

"So you bet her a galleon Gryffindor would win?" Hermione asked watching Ravenclaw score again.

"Yes," said Severus, visibly annoyed. "It appears she is going to get that galleon."

* * *

"Wow, Harry…" Hermione trailed off

"Where did they find her?" Ron asked blankly.

"She's a second year," said Dean Thomas. "She wouldn't have even been there if Owens hadn't gotten injured in the last game."

"She'll be a permanent team member next year," said Seamus. "But she'll be subbing for the rest of the year."

He was tearing apart a paper napkin absentmindedly and letting the pieces float to the floor of the Gryffindor common room. No one seemed to be eating the food that had been had stolen and prepared for the victory party that wasn't.

"Are you OK, Hermione?" asked Neville under his breath as the other boys discussed how they could possibly destroy Ravenclaw in the last game of the season.

"I'm alright," said Hermione giving him a small smile. "He isn't unkind, you know."

"That's good," said Neville, but he didn't sound as if he fully believed it. "You can petition for an annulment after six months if you want. You know, if you haven't conceived."

"But then I'm open for bids again," said Hermione with a defeated sigh. "That might end up way worse."

"True," admitted Neville. He turned red and spoke quickly. "But by then most of us will be over age and we can petition for you. At least a few of us are bound to get through."

"Thank you, Neville," Hermione said sincerely. "I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

"How was the condolence party?" Snape asked, smirking in spite of himself.

"Normal, I suppose." Hermione shrugged before hanging up her cloak on a hook and plunking herself on the couch next to Severus. "There was food and lamenting, and then the team went over new theories until everyone else went to bed."

Snape winced as he rolled up the last scroll on the low table and placed it in the bag he packed for his classes.

Crookshanks jumped on the couch between Hermione and Severus and began purring and butting the pair of them with his head.

"Is he usually this demanding?" Severus asked as he scratched the cat behind his ears.

"He usually has a common room full of people to sucker into petting him," Hermione said, shrugging.

"You've gotten spoiled," Severus told the cat seriously. Crookshanks purred louder and walked all over his lap, covering his dark clothing in orange fur. "Well at least you agree." Severus shook his head and tried to hide a small smile.

Hermione tried not to snort at the pair. Each just as stubborn as the other, and now they were friends. Perfect.

"I was thinking…" Severus said slowly, as if he were testing the conversation in some way. It immediately got her attention. "Summer will be starting soon and your schooling will be completed. Do you plan on starting an internship right away?"

"I thought about taking the summer off, honestly," Hermione admitted. "I know it seems silly, but I thought travel would be good for me for a few months... come up with a clear career plan..." She blushed as if the idea embarrassed her. "Now everything seems so up in the air…"

"I'm going east to do some research over the holidays," Severus said, still stroking Crookshanks, who was now settled in a large orange puddle on his lap. "You certainly are of age, and by then you will be out of school. You are joining the Order?"

"Of course," Hermione said sitting up straighter. Severus gave her a withering look that she ignored.

"Will you be willing to assist with missions when you are sworn in?" Severus asked her seriously, finally looking up from Crookshanks. His eyes seemed to bore into her.

"Where will we be going?" she asked as if it was an affirmative.

"St. Petersburg, for starters," said Severus. "I have family there and it will serve as a good cover if you're with me. Honeymoon and family. No one would have reason to suspect anything."

Hermione nodded seriously. Her heart fluttered in her chest. He was speaking to her as if she were an equal. As if she were already sworn in. As if she were worthy of being held accountable with something so important.

Wait… his _family?_

"I—I will do my absolute best," she said, trying not to look as ill as she was feeling.

Severus looked her up and down and nodded seriously. He looked tired again.

He was inwardly pleased. If Hermione was going to be stuck in this situation she was at least being logical about the risks and requirements. She listened to him, even if she came to her own conclusions. She had not one burst of hysteria, even though he thought it would naturally occur at some point when they were alone. She had not shied away from him at their wedding, or in their household. He decided that she would make a fine addition to the Order. She might even make it through alive if she stopped throwing herself into the thick of things with Potter and Weasley.


	4. The Order Meeting

"Severus," Molly Weasley said in a low, dangerous voice. "Are you insane?"

Severus lowered his eyebrows at her. He clenched a mug of hot cocoa in his left hand. He looked at Dumbledore, who was sipping at his mug of cocoa and looking far too amused for his own good.

"Yes, Molly," Severus said, annoyed. "I've gone insane. I thought it would do for a nice change."

Charlie Weasley snorted cocoa out his nose and his brother, Bill, had to pound him on the back.

The table in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place was crowded. Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George Weasley flanked one of the long wooden benches. Remus Lupin, Sturgis Podmore, Tonks, Kingsley Shackelbolt, and Mrs. Longbottom sat on the other side. Severus was leaning in a doorway, somewhat separate from the others.

"She's never done field work, and she's not even initiated yet," groused Molly.

"She's the best person for this job," said Lupin, reaching for a tin of biscuits. "She's got a talent for research that others just don't have. She's genuinely interested and her curiosity drives her."

"I'm going to have to agree," Arthur looked reluctantly at his wife.

"You know what curiosity did for the cat," Molly said coolly. She turned her eyes on Dumbledore, who set his mug down thoughtfully.

"Molly, it's just research and diplomacy," reasoned Dumbledore. "They're not going to go prowling around looking for Voldemort, I promise. And I'll have to agree, Miss Granger _is_ the best person for any research project."

"Madam Snape, you mean," said Molly, throwing a dirty look at Severus.

"I am not having this conversation," said Severus looking levelly at her.

"It was done because it had to be," said Arthur irritatedly. "Unless you think Percy should have broken his engagement off to do it. He very nearly did, you know."

Percy had finally reconciled with his family. There had been a tearful session between Molly and him, and in the end he had joined the Order. His wedding to Cassie Jackson, a secretary for the Minister of Magic, was arranged for the end of July.

Percy had managed to retain his job at the Ministry during recent upheavals, but had been transferred to the Department of Matrimonial Destiny Thankfully, it had put him in a position that allowed him to inform Dumbledore when Hermione's name had appeared in the Book of Brides.

"No, of course not," said Molly with a shake of her head. "I just don't think it's right. She's still in school."

"At least he could keep her at Hogwarts," said Mrs. Longbottom, frowning deeply. The stuffed vulture on her hat bobbed in time with her nodding. "Someone else might have decided her education was complete enough and pulled her enrollment. Then we'd have all sorts of bother trying to get her back."

Molly sighed resignedly. "It just seems like she's so young."

"Think of it this way," Arthur said with a cheeky grin. "When you were her age you were a year away from starting this brood." He smiled at his sons.

"Heaven forbid," said Molly throwing a warning look at Severus.

He gave her an annoyed look.

"I don't make it a habit to molest my students," Severus said stiffly.

"She won't be your student for long, mate," said Fred, or George. "She's turned into a right piece."

"George!" said Molly, appalled. Mrs. Longbottom stared at him in shock. Tonks began to giggle uncontrollably, as did the other Weasleys. Dumbledore just rolled his eyes and sipped at his cocoa.

"Merlin's beard, that was rude," said Bill laughing, his hand slapped to his forehead. "What are you thinking?"

"Well, it's true," grumbled George. Kingsley shook his head in amazement that George had said what everyone was thinking.

Hermione had grown into a pretty young lady. She wore her long bushy hair pulled back, but it had gotten very long. She never wore makeup, but when she chose to do so, she could be stunning.

Severus waved his wand at the cocoa he slopped on the front of his clothing. "As much as I hate to say it, your sibling is right. That was terribly rude."

"Sorry," said George, poking Fred and not looking very sorry at all.

Fred snickered and their mother glared at them.

* * *

"How did the meeting go?" Hermione asked as Severus walked through the green flames in his fireplace. She closed the book she had been reading and looked at him. She was wearing blue plaid flannel pajamas and white socks. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but its curls still winded their way over her shoulders.

"Molly was not overly enthusiastic over you going to St. Petersburg with me," admitted Severus, unwinding a long black scarf from around his neck. "I suppose that was to be expected." He brought a package from under his robes.

"I can imagine," said Hermione, wincing. "Sorry."

"However, it was unanimous that you are the best person for research assignments," said Severus, almost accusingly.

She shrugged at him in agreement. "What's that?" she asked, changing the subject and nodding at the brown paper wrapped package, sitting on the coffee table.

"Potion ingredients," said Severus gruffly as he turned around to hang up his cloak. "For the Sixth years."

Hermione smirked and her eyes went back to her book.


	5. A Hogsmede Surprise

Hermione woke up late Saturday morning to the smell of bacon. She shook her head and pulled her bed curtain back.

Her window draperies were already open and sunlight spilled into the room. A breakfast of bacon, eggs, beans, toast, and pumpkin juice were sitting on a small lap table next to the bed. A scroll tied with a silver ribbon sat next near her plate.

Hermione levitated the tray to her lap with a wave of her wand. Crookshanks sniffed at the tray momentarily before Hermione shooed him away. She took a sip of pumpkin juice and reached for the scroll.

_Hermione,_

_I am going on an excursion to Hogsmede today to replenish supplies not available to me last night. You may join me if you so wish._

_Severus  
_  
Hermione looked at a timepiece she kept around her neck. It was almost 10 o'clock. She wondered when he planned on leaving. She may have already missed him.

She quickly ate her breakfast and went into her bathroom. She submerged herself into the tub and began quickly washing her hair. It was twisted up in a towel and she was choosing her robes when there was a soft knock at her door.

_"Emicoatus,"_ she called out. Severus walked into her chambers and gave her a strange look.

"You got my scroll?" Severus asked.

"I'm almost ready to go," said Hermione as she selected a set of sky-blue, sleeveless robes. "I just need to get dressed."

"I wasn't planning to go until after lunch," Severus said, as if her preparedness had unnerved him. "But we can always get an early start."

Crookshanks jumped off the bed and began purring loudly as he began winding his way around Severus' legs.

"I don't think so," Severus said sternly to the cat. "You get to stay here."

Crookshanks seemed to understand Severus. He stalked off, seemingly annoyed.

"I'll be ready soon," Hermione promised.

Severus gave her a short nod and left her chambers.

0

"It's not even a Hogsmede weekend!" complained Ron.

"I know," said Hermione, trying not to smirk.

"Bring us back sweets," suggested Harry. "To bribe us into forgiving you."

"I will," laughed Hermione.

"And that new book: _Bulgarian Defense Strategies_," said Ron, fishing around in his robes for money.

"Never thought you'd ask me to pick up a book for _you,"_ Hermione said pocketing his coins.

"Pygmy Puff Treats for Arnold!" Ginny added excitedly. Hermione nodded.

"We'll need that book to win the cup from Ravenclaw," said Ron seriously.

"Just have a good time," said Harry, ignoring Ron.

"I will," said Hermione, smiling.

0

Hermione walked through the door Severus was holding open for her and looked around at the shelves of Flourish and Blotts bookstore. She quickly selected the book Ron had asked her to get for him from a large display near the front of the store.

"What on Earth is that for?" Severus asked. Hermione told him and Severus snorted.

"It's going to take more than that to beat Ravenclaw."

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked, picking up a book about Egyptian Hexes.

"That new girl? The secret weapon? Her grandfather used to be coach for the Hornets back in the 80's," said Severus with a disappointed sigh. "They were unbeatable."

"Well, let them think they have a chance," said Hermione, shrugging. "At least for awhile."

"Hello, Severus," a smooth voice said behind them. Hermione and Severus turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing behind them. "And Madam Snape, what a delightful surprise."

"Lucius," said Snape, nodding curtly at him.

"Congratulations on your marriage," said Lucius silkily. "I would have congratulated you sooner, of course, had you decided to stay at your own reception long enough to receive your guests. How_ like_ you Severus."

"I thought a couple was allowed a bit of privacy on their wedding night," Hermione snapped. Lucius looked at Hermione with mild surprise.

"It seems I may have misjudged you," said Lucius to Severus with a smirk. "It only makes sense you would retire early. It was a school night, after all."

Hermione felt her cheeks flame with anger. She tasted copper as she bit her tongue to stay silent. She found herself reaching for her wand anyway.

_"Arachne sprechen,"_ said Snape with a flick of his own wand.

Lucius opened his mouth to speak a spell of his own, Hermione suspected, but instead a cascade of spiders fell out of his mouth. They scrabbled over his waistcoat and down the front of his trousers. He leaped back in surprise, then glared at Severus.

"Watch your tongue when you're in the presence of a lady," said Severus in a low dangerous tone. Lucius stared at the pair of them for a moment before he stalked off.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"It will wear off in a few hours," said Severus, apparently satisfied. "Until then, he won't be able to speak. Unless he's in need of fresh potions ingredients."

"That could be handy," Hermione mused to herself, trying to recall the movements he made with his wand when he uttered the incantation.

"Don't even think about it," Severus said warningly.

0

"Wow," said Harry, impressed. He was sitting in a chair in the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione were sitting in chairs nearby with an odd assortment of sweets spread in front of them on a low table.

"Do you remember how to do it?" Ron asked excitedly.

"No," Hermione lied. "It happened too quickly." She handed Ron a Chocolate Frog and grabbed her new backpack. She reached into it, past beyond where she should have stopped. "I got your book."

"Where'd you get the bag?" Ron asked abruptly.

"Severus," said Hermione, handing Ron the Quidditch book he had asked for.

"Severus?" asked Ron. "Getting a bit chummy, are we?"

"Ron," warned Harry.

"It's just a question," Ron said sharply.

"Whether we like it or not, this marriage may last awhile," said Hermione quietly as she rustled through her bag of sweets. "The sensible thing to do is at least look like it's normal."

Ron was silent for several long moments.

"Are you going to petition for an annulment in six months?" Ron asked.

"Probably not," Hermione said. Ron looked at her in shock, but Harry didn't seem surprised.

"Oh, come on, Ron," Hermione said exasperatedly. "What if I got put in the hands of a Death Eater? By that time I'll be in the Order."

"One of us can petition for you," said Ron, meaning any of the Gryffindor boys.

"That doesn't mean anything," reasoned Hermione. "Percy pulled some strings so I'd get a choice this time, but there's no guarantee I'll get a choice next time. They could just default to the original petitioners."

"She's right, Ron," said Harry as Ron opened his mouth to protest. Ron closed his mouth and shook his head. He threw the unopened Chocolate Frog back on the table and retreated up the stairs to the Boys Dorm without saying good night.

"It's a bit difficult for him," said Harry apologetically.

"I know," said Hermione quietly. "But it's not like it's that easy on me."

"I know," said Harry, getting up and putting an arm around her. "Probably isn't all that easy on old Snape, either," he added as an afterthought.

"He's been very generous," said Hermione, wiping tears away before they fell. "I have the coolest bathroom in the world."

Harry laughed. "I'll have to see it sometime. Just make sure he's in class so I don't get punished for traipsing through a teachers quarters."

"OK," said Hermione squeezing him back. He rose and went back to his chair.

0

When Hermione got back to her quarters she found Severus asleep on the couch under a pile of scrolls and an orange pile of cat.

Hermione shook her head and whistled softly. Crookshanks popped his head out of the pile and yawned widely.

"Bed, Crookshanks," Hermione whispered. As he rose a few scrolls fluttered to the floor.

She cringed, but Severus didn't wake. She waved her wand at him and the scrolls gathered themselves up and settled into a neat pile on the coffee table. She approached his chambers. She looked at the door and scrutinized it. She had never seen the other side of it, and decided she didn't want to challenge any wards he had waiting for an unsuspecting person.

Hermione quietly slipped into her room and picked up a grey blanket thrown over a chair in one of the corners. She slipped back into her receiving room and covered Severus with her blanket. He shifted slightly as the blanket settled on him, but stopped moving, momentarily. A lock of raven hair lay across his forehead, his head tilted back. His face was relaxed in sleep and Hermione stopped for a moment to look at him.

Severus was her husband. He wasn't unattractive, he was intelligent, and it could have been far worse.

She had enjoyed their day together. They had browsed bookstores and potion ingredient shops. She hadn't seen Severus pay for anything, but watched him sign off invoices wherever they made a purchase. Maybe it was a form of Wizarding credit she didn't know about.

She realized that she was staring at him, and she finally tiptoed back into her chambers to sleep with Crookshanks.

0

Hermione woke early in the morning to a loud tapping at her window. She pulled back her draperies to see a large eagle owl waiting outside on her oversized ledge. He was sitting on a fairly large package.

Hermione opened the window, looking at him confused. "Are you lost, pretty boy?"

She scratched him behind his ear tufts and reached out for the invoice that was attached to the package:

_To: Madam Snape  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Kethols Book of Experimental Fungi  
Hillards Justification of Dark Arts in Modern Day  
A Biography of Merlin  
Ulf the Amazing Explains Advanced Rune Work  
Percivals Examination of Titanium  
1 bookmark_

_Paid In Full: Snape Estate  
_  
Hermione paled as she looked at the stack of books in front of her. The fungi book alone was 50 galleons. The Biography of Merlin was listed as _'price upon request.'_

She looked at the eagle owl, who was purring contentedly. He didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

"Did Severus buy these?" Hermione stared in shock. The owl hooted as if the idea offended him and flew into her room. He landed on a perch she had not even noticed, near the ceiling. "Well then," she said, slightly taken aback.

Hermione looked at Crookshanks who was staring at the owl, his tail flicking back and forth.

"Crookshanks?" Hermione wavered. Crookshanks didn't move. Hermione decided it was best to get help.

She opened the door that led to the sitting room. It was empty. She tentatively walked to Severus' door and knocked quietly. When she got no response she knocked a little more firmly.

Hermione was about to knock a third time when she heard a soft scraping behind the door and it was opened.

"Bit early, isn't it?" asked Severus sleepily, wiping his face his hand. He was wearing a white cotton t-shirt and black pajama pants.

"Tell that to the owl in my bedroom," said Hermione in a tone that was far snarkier than she had intended.

"What?" asked Severus, peering over her shoulder as if he could see into her rooms from where he was.

Hermione moved out of his way and followed him into her rooms.

His eyes first fell on the opened package on the table.

"Is this what it brought?" asked Severus, frowning slightly. He picked up the invoice and groaned.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Obviously there's been a mistake. I didn't do this."

"There's been no mistake," said Severus. His eyes wandered the room and finally fell upon the proud-looking owl. His rolled his eyes as the owl hooted at him.

"Hello, father." Severus sighed resignedly.


	6. Sunday Morning

The owl on the perch swooped down dramatically and transformed into a tall, stocky wizard with silver and black hair.

"You would have thought you would have at least invited me to the wedding," the older man sniffed in an accent that had a Russian ring to it. "See what lengths I have to go to, just to give my daughter-in-law her wedding present."

Hermione studied the similarities between the men. They had the same nose, but where Severus had a finely boned face, his father had a wide expanse of brow and cheeks. Both were wearing black, but his father wore plainer robes.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked in a disbelieving tone as she reached to touch the cover of a volume.

"I followed you around the bookstore," said Severus' father proudly. "You did not want to put those down."

"Do you have any sense of decency?" squawkled Severus. "Stalking a poor girl around a book store."

"My daughter-in-law, I might add!" Severus' father, pulled himself up to his full height, almost a full inch above Severus. "Whom I have never gotten to meet, although we share the same name!"

"Aren't you being a little dramatic?" asked Severus, annoyed.

A small elf appeared in the doorway, balancing a plate of breakfast in one hand.

"Oh!" squeaked Dobby, surprised. "I will get breakfast for company. Pardons sirs and miss." He scrambled backwards out of the room before Hermione could stop him.

"Dramatic?" Severus' father asked, just as annoyed with his son. "You want to see dramatic, you should talk to—"

"Thank you so much," said Hermione softly, interrupting them. "These are incredible gifts." She was stroking the heavy leather cover of Merlin's Biography.

"Well, at least one of you has manners," said Severus' father stubbornly.

Breakfast plates began appearing on the table and Hermione quickly scrambled for the books. She piled them on the bed as food appeared.

"I am Jacob Snape, head of the Snape family, and father to this pain in the arse," said Jacob Snape, spreading marmalade on a piece of toast. Hermione tried not to stifle a giggle. "And you are Hermione Snape, formerly Granger. A top student at this school with promise to go far. An incident with a Time Turner made you above the age of consent before graduation, which allowed my son to marry you legally, if not ethically." He narrowed his eyes at his son. "My son petitioned for your custody as soon as you were available, and out of three candidates you chose him, although I'm bewildered as to why."

"He was the best choice," said Hermione. Before a sound could leave Severus' open mouth, she shoved a small muffin into it. He gave her a look, but said nothing.

Jacob stared at the pair for a moment before he started snickering. "Obviously."

Severus lowered his eyebrows at him, but there was nothing he could do with a mouthful of food.

"It isn't that you finally got married," said Jacob, sighing. "Obviously she was the intelligent choice, and it's obvious you fancy each other." Severus choked on his muffin. "But did you _have_ to petition for her? Your mother's having fits! Was it too much to hope for that you would have eloped like a normal person?"

Hermione reached out for a teapot and poured herself a cup. "It seemed to be our best choice to do things the proper way. We didn't want them giving us any troubles over paperwork and channels and all that."

"You must come visit us in our French estate during the summer," said Jacob aside to Hermione.

"I was planning on the Russian estate," said Severus. "She's never been to Russia."

"Well," said Jacob, his smile frozen on his face. "We'll have to visit you, then."

"I'll be looking forward to it," said Hermione, before Severus could say anything. "I hear it's beautiful."

"It is," Jacob confirmed. "Now about you, dear. We tried to look you up in the Wizarding registrars, but you didn't seem to be there. Where is your family from?"

Hermione's cheeks flamed red and she looked at Severus. "London."

"She's Muggle-born," said Severus flatly.

"Oh," said Jacob sitting back in his chair. "I see. Well. You're still top in your class?"

Hermione nodded silently, thinking it best to keep silent.

"Well, can't blame a person for their parentage," said Jacob, glancing at Severus. "Your Great Uncle Johann was a Mudblood, and his line turned out just fine." He smiled at Hermione.

Hermione tried to look cordial as she took a bite of muffin. Severus looked at her quickly.

"Well, at the very least," Jacob said, rising to his feet. "Owl your mother. She's driving me mad."

"I will," Severus said glumly.

"You're not staying for breakfast?" Hermione asked as she stood.

"If I stay much longer, your new mother-in-law will come looking for me. I will not do that to Severus this early in the morning." Jacob's eyes twinkled.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Severus mumbled under his breath.

Jacob smirked before his form seemed to bunch up on itself and he transformed back into a large eagle owl. He hooted as he flapped out the window and into the clear blue sky.

* * *

Jacob Snape, in his eagle owl form, soared in the window of the den in his Oxford estate, and he transformed mid air, his bare feet stumbling on the thick Oriental rug.

Flaming red silk robes lay on a polished mahogany chair near the window.

He took his own dark robes off of a hook on the polished brass bird perch and pulled them on. He slipped on carpet slippers before padding over to a gold rope in one corner of his den and pulling it. A bell sounded in the distance.

He went over to his desk and saw his reflection in the polished ebony and smiled. The newest generation of house-elves were excellent this year.

He sat in his ancient chair behind the desk and heard the leather crinkle as it adjusted to his weight. He pulled a scroll out of one of the drawers of the desk and began reading.

After he had read a few lines, a raven swooped in the open window. Jacob watched as the raven transformed into a beautiful, nude witch with long black hair and creamy pale skin. Jacob's gaze swept over her as she reached for the red robes.

"Well?" she barked impatiently in a thick Russian accent, the sound of a native speaker rather than someone that had relocated. She pulled her robes on and slid into matching red slippers that had been left under the chair for her.

"You look as beautiful as the day I married you, Anastasia. Bravo!" Jacob smiled as he went back to his scroll. It was almost too easy to get a rise out of her.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She stormed over to the desk and snatched the scroll out of his hands. "And no work on the weekends."

Jacob sighed resignedly as she pouted at him, and he folded his hands on the desk.

"They seem to be happy," Jacob said as he watched her fumble with a few decorative hair baubles that had been lying on a small table tucked between bookshelves. "They have separate bedrooms for now. I think he is keeping it as professional as possible until she graduates."

"How chivalrous!" Anastasia beamed proudly, coiling and pinning her hair around the crown of her head. "He always was a little gentleman."

"I think you have a selective memory, my dear," said Jacob, pointing his chin down and looking at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes, yes," she said dismissively, waving a hand at him. "What is the girl like?"

"Polite," said Jacob. He thought for a moment. "Pretty. Has hair like your cousin Lillith."

Anastasia snorted.

"She loved the books. Acted like I bestowed jewels on her."

"Jewels of knowledge are more precious than jewels from the earth," Anastasia said simply as she gave her hair a final pat and reached for a silver belt slung over the back of a chair.

"Indeed," Jacob said, smiling slightly at her. "She can head him off before his mouth goes into light speed. It's a miracle if I've ever seen one."

"Intelligent," said Anastasia, impressed. "And quick, I can imagine. When do I get to meet the girl? What of her family?"

Jacob rubbed his forehead and waved his wand at a silver tea service on a cart across the room. It clattered over, and the pot started steaming.

"Should I sit down for this?" Anastasia asked, reaching for two cups.

"I don't think it's _that_ serious in today's age," said Jacob unsteadily. "She's a Mudblood."

"That's not polite talk nowadays, my dear," Anastasia chided as she poured tea in both cups. "What of her parents? Are they living? How do they feel about this? What is their social position in the Muggle world?"

"I forgot to ask," Jacob said, taking the cup of black tea from his wife. "I was a bit shocked."

"I can imagine," said Anastasia, putting sugar and milk in her tea. "Considering Severus' past."

"Well, pure blood or not, they seem to have raised a clever, intelligent daughter," said Jacob, sighing. "It's not like we can change it now. Perhaps they'll be tolerable people."

"My great-great-grandmother always said she enjoyed spending time with Johan's mother," said Anastasia, shrugging and making a face.

"Perhaps it won't be that bad," said Jacob, nodding firmly.

* * *

"I apologize for my father," Severus said stiffly as he reached for a plate of sausage. "He forgets his manners. Frequently."

"It should have been expected," said Hermione as she tossed a small piece of sausage to Crookshanks.

"It was still unacceptable," said Severus, shaking his head. "What if you slept in the altogether?"

"I've spent the last seven years sharing a room," Hermione scoffed at him. "What are the chances?"

Severus gave her a quizzical look and suddenly she knew more about Slytherin modesty than she ever wanted to.

"I can't believe your father did this," Hermione said, changing the subject and wiping her fingers on a cloth napkin. She reached out for one of the more common books sitting on her bed.

She opened _Percival's Examination of Titanium_ and a bookmark fell out. It clinked lightly as it hit the stone floor and shimmered like a rainbow in the morning light. The tassel seemed to be woven from miniscule strands of silver. Sapphire chips set in the titanium shaped a decorative 'H.'

"Good lord," Hermione exclaimed and her fingers fluttered to her mouth.

"He tends to overdo things," Severus said, embarrassed.

"I'll owl your mother later and thank her," said Hermione. "The card did say it was from the… estate?"

"That would be appropriate," said Severus. "My mother enjoys being coddled."

"I imagine most mothers-in-law do," mused Hermione as she picked up the bookmark and examined it. She tucked the light piece of metal back into the book and turned back to the table.

She looked almost mournful as she began eating. Her eyes kept straying towards the books.

"Do you really want to read them that badly?" Severus asked, practically rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione, blushing. "Normally I'd be opening them, but I'm afraid of getting anything on them."

Severus shook his head at her and gave her an admonishing look. He pulled his wand out and waved it at the pile of books.

The one on titanium rose in the air and came to a gentle stop in front of Hermione. With a flick of Severus' wrist, the book opened to page one.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione murmured to herself as she began reading.

Severus shook his head at her and tucked into his breakfast.


	7. Settling In

Severus stormed into his quarters late Sunday afternoon to find Hermione sitting in the parlor, reading. Her legs were curled up underneath her in his overstuffed chair near the window in their sitting room. Her hair cast off small glints of light as the sun caressed it.

He slammed a tray with a ham sandwich and a goblet of pumpkin juice on it on a table near her. The pumpkin juice sloshed over the sides of the goblet and pooled on the tray.

Hermione squeaked in surprise, but recovered enough to ask: "What's this?"

"You didn't eat lunch," Severus said stonily. He was trying to control an outburst bubbling under his skin. "Your absence was noticed. Mr. Potter and Weasley kept whispering to each other, and several young women in Gryffindor gave me some rather rude looks."

"I wasn't hungry," Hermione said sheepishly. She was torn between being afraid of him and laughing in his face. "Breakfast was so big." She put her bookmark in her book and closed it.

"How would you know if you were hungry or not?" Severus asked with a sneer. "You haven't put that book down since breakfast. You need to eat."

"It's not like I'm putting out a lot of energy," Hermione argued as she placed the thick tome on the small table holding the tray with her lunch. "I ate a large breakfast and I didn't notice the time."

"That's not healthy," insisted Severus with a frown. "You can easily exhaust yourself, and I see you doing that with ease. The Order needs its members in top condition, not running on empty."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "You're making that up! If that was true, Mundungus Fletcher would never have been recruited!"

Severus tightened his mouth. He didn't expect her to see through him so quickly.

"Be that as it may," Severus said loftily, "Fletcher will not be asked to do critical research and you _will."_

Hermione sighed. It was an excuse, of course, but if it was after lunch, she had been reading for hours without a break. He was standing stiffly before her: back rigidly straight and his arms folded tightly across his chest. His black eyes bored into her.

"Thank you," said Hermione as a small chill went up her spine. "You're right, of course. I'll go set things right after I eat."

* * *

"There she is!" shouted Ron to Harry as they soared high above the Quidditch pitch.

Harry waved to Hermione and she waved back from her seat in the stands.

Harry and Ron soared to her and clattered to a stop as their heavy boots landed on the old wooden stands.

"Where have you been?" Ron demanded as he pulled his helmet off.

"Where have I been?" Hermione asked, laughing. "In my quarters with a book. Where else would I be?"

"Of course you were," Harry said, nudging Ron in the side. "It's Sunday. Where else would she be?"

"So, when do we get to see this place?" said Ron, slightly embarrassed, but still annoyed.

"Whenever you want," said Hermione with a wide smile. "You seem to know more about my quarters than I do."

Ron beamed for the first time since Hermione's marriage to Severus.

"We'll change and we can go now," Harry suggested reluctantly.

Hermione knew Harry wasn't looking forward to spending any time with Snape, but this would give Ron peace of mind and Harry was willing to suffer.

"Perfect." Hermione said with a sigh.

* * *

Hermione opened the portal to the quarters she shared with Severus and stepped through with Harry and Ron.

Severus was sitting on the black couch in front of the fireplace reading scrolls, reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. He gave them an obligatory sneer.

Harry and Ron took in the large window with a view behind Severus, the comfortable chair and table beside the window, the picture with a purring, dozing cat on it.

"Err… hello, Professor," said Harry, wondering if this was a good idea.

Ron stayed silent for a change.

Severus took his glasses off and put them in a small black case on the coffee table. "Come to check on Hermione?"

"Something like that," said Harry sheepishly before Ron could open his mouth.

"I expect you'll find everything in order," Severus sniffed as he began liberally marking a scroll in red ink.

Hermione shook her head at all of them. She walked over to the purring cat and whispered the password that opened the portal to her room.

"Incredible," Ron breathed as the portal opened.

Severus looked over at the backs of the trio and allowed himself a small smirk. They'd be occupied all afternoon and wouldn't be able to get up to too much trouble. They were old enough they weren't _too_ irritating and they were in another room.

Babysitting them would no longer be such a tedious chore. At least he wouldn't have to chase them around and loom out of dark corners at the appropriate moments anymore.

"Nice colors," said Ron sarcastically as he took in all the blue. "Feel like a Ravenclaw these days?"

Crookshanks, who was sleeping on the bed, raised his head long enough to blink at the boys, then lowered it and sighed as he settled back into his nap.

"Blimey, Hermione! I'm coming over just to use the loo!" Harry's voice came out of the bathroom.

Hermione had taken to just leaving the door open since no one came into her quarters besides her.

Hermione shook her head as Ron walked wordlessly over to investigate. He wasn't going to make this easy.

"Wow," said Ron, impressed in spite of himself.

He tickled the frog faucet under the chin and a white liquid trickled from it.

"What's that?" said Harry with a surprised look on his face.

"What's what?" Hermione asked as she walked into the bathroom.

"Ron tickled the frog and the water changed to… whatever this is," Harry said pointing at the sink.

Hermione frowned and looked at the trickle of white fluid. She reached out to stick her hand in it, but Ron stopped her.

"You don't know what it is!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione sighed, annoyed, and went back into her bedroom. She was back momentarily with a clear glass. She collected some of the substance and uttered the word carved on top of the faucet to stop it.

"We do have access to a Potions master," she said simply before turning to walk into the parlor.

"Severus?"

Severus turned and saw Hermione holding a cup of white fluid. Ron and Harry seemed shocked and appalled she had called him by his first name.

"We were in the bathroom, and when Ron tickled the frog, this came out instead of water," Hermione explained. "Could you tell us what it is?"

"What?!" Severus exclaimed, looking alarmed. He laid the scroll he was reading on the coffee table in front him and quickly got to his feet.

"What made you tickle the frog?" Severus asked curiously as he took the glass from Hermione and swirled the liquid around in it.

Before they could answer him, he sniffed it, and then gave them a look of disappointment. He took a drink from the glass.

Ron, Hermione and Harry gasped as Severus swished the liquid around his mouth before swallowing.

"Are you insane?" Ron bellowed before he thought better of it.

"Did your mother tell you to say that?" Severus asked sharply.

"What?" Ron asked, confused.

"Nothing," said Severus, waving a hand at him. "It's milk." He sat the glass on the table with the scrolls.

"Milk?" asked Harry in a confused tone. "For if you fancy a drink in the middle of the night?"

Hermione snorted and all the men looked at her. To her surprise, Severus was included.

"Milk is good for your skin," Hermione explained. "I bet it's pumped down from the kitchens. I doubt Helga Hufflepuff could pop over to a Wizarding beauty shop for face cream before we were organized enough to even have a culture."

"Girl stuff," Ron said, shaking his head.

Harry and Severus nodded in agreement.

"Oh, honestly!" Hermione spluttered before she stalked back to her bathroom to figure out how to turn the milk off and the water back on.

Severus looked at Ron.

Ron looked at Severus.

Harry looked at Ron pleadingly.

"I know how difficult this must be for you," said Severus slowly before Ron could say or do anything.

"What?" Ron asked, his face an expression of bewilderment.

Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"It would have been less difficult if you were of age, or if any of your brothers were available to petition for her," Severus continued cautiously.

"What?" asked Ron again.

Severus gave him a trying look. "Your brother, Percival, could have petitioned for her. However, it would have meant sacrificing his own intended and it would have looked suspicious."

"This didn't look odd?" Harry asked, interrupting what would have no doubt been a rude comment from Ron.

"A bit unconventional, yes, but not _so_ strange," Severus said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, relaxing a little.

"Powerful wizards can lead much longer lives than the general Wizarding population," explained Severus patiently. "Sometimes their spouses don't last a quarter of their life spans."

"What does that have to do with professors pairing off with students?" Ron interrupted.

"Imagine you're 130 years old, Weasley," Severus snapped. "You meet a charming witch 40 years your junior with a familiar last name. In fact, _all_ the women have familiar last names because you taught each one that passed through Hogwarts. All of them. For the last 100 years."

Ron's jaw dropped. "Are some of the Hogwarts professors _married?" _

"A few in the past have been," Severus said stiffly. "It's very hard to see people as adults when you met them as children."

"So, none are married now, except you?" Harry asked, as if he hoped Snape didn't get angry at him for asking so many questions.

"Binns has a widow," Severus said shortly.

"Binns?" Ron asked incredulously. "Are you still a widow if your husband's a ghost?"

"You live in hell if your husbands a ghost," Severus snapped at him.

Ron stood up straighter, startled. He bumped into Harry, taking a step back as Severus loomed over him.

"Lucinda loved that daft dry dishrag, for some crazy reason, and she wilted when he passed," Severus hissed.

No one noticed Hermione standing in the doorway of her room, listening to everything.

"He wasn't really gone," Severus said in a low tone. "He was still _here._ Bound to the school. Correspondence was dictated to house-elves and delivered to her by owl. She got a notice of her husbands' condition in the same envelope as his death certificate."

Ron paled.

"That's horrible," said Harry, a stricken look on his face.

Severus pushed away the ancient memory of a red-haired girl with the same eyes and the same expression.

"That's not so horrible, Potter," said Severus silkily. "She spends her summers here, watching his transparent form, never able to touch him. He gets to watch her slowly age before him, knowing she will probably not meet him when she passes."

"How do you know she won't become a ghost?" said Hermione from the doorway, breaking the spell.

"What?" Severus asked, annoyed he'd been interrupted.

"A ghost is someone who has strong emotional ties to something that keeps them here," said Hermione, sounding like a textbook. "Everyone knows that Binns was held back because it was his last session before the O.W.L.s and he was particularly obsessive about the details of the Centurion Tribunal that year."

"What's your point?" said Severus loudly, his spooky demeanor vanished and irritation in its place.

Hermione folded her arms. He may be her husband, but he was _not_ going to torment her friends for amusement.

Harry and Ron both turned and sat on the couch as if this was something they'd witnessed a thousand times. Ron seemed to be particularly enjoying himself.

Severus looked unnerved.

"My point is he's a ghost and she obviously has strong ties to him," said Hermione testily. "If given the option, she would spend eternity here with him. And he's _not_ bound to the school. The O.W.L.s being in Hogwarts is a technicality of location. Moaning Myrtle used to go all over the place before the Ministry got her to stop causing mischief and Dumbledore offered her a home."

"Fine then," Severus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Binns can go for a country holiday if he wishes. His wife still has to have to be given the option to change over and you can't predict that." He stood straighter and folded his arms.

"Yes you _can,_ and she would be a logical choice for a ghost," Hermione said insistently.

As Hermione and Severus bickered, Harry's and Ron's heads looked back and forth, as if they were watching a particularly enjoyable tennis match.

"No you _can't,_ and there are no probable theories to being transformed into a ghost. Also, being a ghost is _not_ a pleasurable thing," said Severus, furrowing his eyebrows at her. "It would be illogical for her to choose it even if given the opportunity."

"Lucinda would choose to stay," Hermione insisted. "And there _is_ logic to it. We're still learning about the process."

"We? What do you know?" barked Severus.

"Binns began the project my sixth year," Hermione said smugly, crossing her arms. "We interview all the new ghosts that were converted in the last year over Easter weekend. The idea came from Sir Nicholas originally."

"You really should have expected something like that, you know," Ron interjected to Severus from the couch.

Severus sharply turned his head to look at Ron.

"She doesn't ever start something if she doesn't have a hidden play." Ron shrugged. "Except in Wizard's Chess. She stinks at that."

Harry shook his head in agreement.

Severus looked at her dumbfounded.

"Are you serious?" Severus asked, loosening his stance slightly. "Where is your data?"

"Binns has it in his office," Hermione said smugly. "You can see it if you like."

Severus looked at Hermione and saw fiery defiance blazing in her eyes.

She _knew_ she was right, and she wanted him to admit, as her professor, that she was more knowledgeable than him about _something._

Her chin was even tilted upward, set stubbornly.

_Infuriating know-it-all._

His body responded immediately and he swept his robes around himself dramatically.

_'Where in blazes did that come from?'_ thought Severus embarrassedly. _'I've been spending too much spare time in the company of teenagers.'_

"I would," Severus said, reluctantly impressed in her project.

How the girl found the time to do everything, he would never know. The Department of Mysteries would be banging on her door the day after graduation.

Hermione watched as Severus swirled his robes around himself dramatically.

_'Annoying bat,'_ thought Hermione as he retreated to his private rooms. She gave a small smile to his bedroom door as it closed.

"That was incredible, Hermione," Harry whispered so Snape didn't hear him.

Ron just cocked an eyebrow.

Hermione shrugged.

"Forget it," she said as she shook her head. "Come on; let's see what else we can find in there."

* * *

Severus closed the door to his room and looked at the bulge in his trousers.

"Who asked your opinion?" he snarled at his erection.

The image of Hermione looking so annoyed at him swam in his vision.

Severus put his hand on the front of his trousers to try and push his problem away. A wave of pleasure surged through him. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door for a moment before he realized what he was doing.

"Oh, bloody hell!" he exclaimed as he unbuckled his trousers quickly and made for the bed.

At least he could get this over quickly.

* * *

"If you smack it on the head you might get pumpkin juice," Harry suggested, snickering as Hermione and Ron examined the stone frog crouched by the sink in Hermione's bathroom.

"Don't be stupid, Harry," Ron muttered as he poked the stone frog with his wand.

It burped bubbles at him.

"Well that was interesting," Hermione remarked as she popped a bubble floating by with her wand. "So there's a way to integrate soap in the water? I wonder how to trigger it?"

"No idea," said Ron, shrugging. His face suddenly brightened. "I have a great idea!"

"What?" asked Harry, who was examining the ivy growing around Hermione's stone bathing pool.

"Let's get Colin!" Ron said as if everyone else in the room was stupid.

"Creevey?" Hermione asked, confused.

"We need his camera!" Ron said, doing a little dance in his excitement.

Hermione wished she knew what he was so excited about.

"His pictures _move,"_ Ron began patiently.

"So small things will reveal themselves," Hermione finished softly. "Brilliant, Ron."

"Thank you," he said, taking a deep bow.

* * *

Severus left his rooms in a far more relaxed state to find Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Colin Creevey entering his rooms.

Colin was carrying the camera bag the Gryffindors finally talked him into, rather than carrying his camera around his neck everywhere. Severus said nothing but gave Hermione an odd look.

As the boys entered Hermione's quarters she stayed back to explain to Severus what they were doing.

He hoped he didn't look or smell odd. He prayed to every god he could think of that his cheeks didn't turn pink.

"Well, if the Ministry asks anyone, we seem to have a valid marriage," Severus said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"What other Slytherin Head of House would let a pack of Gryffindors trot through his private quarters as they pleased?" Severus gave her a stony look.

Hermione raised her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"I am so sorry," she said, turning pale. "I just thought it would make a nice afternoon project and kind of got carried away."

"Who would have ever guessed you would become involved in a project and get carried away?" said Severus sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," she said again, quieter. "This is a horrible invasion of your privacy—"

"Hermione, that was my idea of a joke." Severus said with a sigh. "I knew I wouldn't be lucky enough to avoid your friends forever."

Hermione smiled at him slightly. So he wasn't pleased, but he wasn't surprised, either.

"I can't believe you never explored in there," said Hermione, changing the subject.

"I did," Snape admitted reluctantly. "I believe it was quickly apparent how abysmal I am when dealing with charms. I never thought of a camera. It was a clever idea."

"It was Ron's idea," admitted Hermione.

"I would like to see your results," Severus muttered, honestly sounding interested instead of just patronizing.

"Of course. We'll let you know," said Hermione.

* * *

Colin ran down the rows of wooden tables in the Great Hall to where Hermione, Ron, and Harry were eating their lunch a few days after the pictures were taken. A large brown envelope waving in his hands.

"Did you get the film developed?" asked Hermione, making room for him beside her.

"Just finished," said Colin, smiling and opening the envelope.

"Are those the pictures you've been waiting for?" Seamus asked, nodding at the envelope. "Of Hermione's new room?"

"Yea," said Ron, reaching for a picture.

"Wow," said Harry looking over Ron's shoulder.

The picture was a close up of the frog faucet. Bubbles rose out of its mouth. Occasionally one of its feet rose to scratch the side of its head.

"What do you think that means?" Harry asked.

"Don't know," said Ron, shrugging. "But at least it gives us an idea."

Hermione was looking at a picture of her bed when she started slightly.

"What?" Ginny Weasley asked.

The boys were still staring at the frog, speculating how it could work. Hermione quietly slipped the picture to Ginny, who began giggling quietly.

"I wouldn't let Ron see that," Ginny said.

The ivy on Hermione's bed seemed to unwind and trail over the bed from four corners. She could only surmise they were some type of restraints.

"Not sure I'd let Snape see it either," Ginny snickered as she handed it back to Hermione.

Hermione laughed and reached for the other pictures in case there was anything else sensitive showing.

"Hey!" Ron protested as Hermione took a picture from him.

"We have Charms next," Hermione said simply. "Lunch is almost over. We can go over these later."

"Alright," Ron said reluctantly as he handed over the pictures.

* * *

Severus walked down the stone corridor to his quarters.

Hermione had classes for the rest of the afternoon and he had scrolls from the fourth years to grade. His life was a monotonous, never-ending cycle of homework, grading, and experiments.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he got in his quarters. He breathed in the fresh air coming in from his open windows. The house-elves must have decided his quarters were in need of an airing.

Fresh yellow flowers sprouted out of a black ceramic pot on the coffee table.

That house-elf really _was_ fond of the girl.

There were new flowerboxes with red flowers outside the large window in the sitting room. Long tendrils of silver and green ivy snaked out of mounted small pots on either side of the window.

The place _did_ look much more pleasant. Besides, both types of flowers could be harvested for potions ingredients. He would have to remember to thank the elf later for his consideration. Hermione would appreciate the gesture.

Severus walked over to the open window and took in a deep breath of fresh air. He could smell the vapor rising from the lake in the warm weather.

The scrolls could wait. Today was a perfect day to take in a little recreation.

* * *

Hermione decided to go to her quarters to do a little reading before dinner.

The library was her normal choice, but her new books were waiting for her in the small bookshelf Dobby had built near her bed.

_"Should we bring you something to eat later?"_ Ron had teased, knowing she would never get to the Great Hall if she stuck her nose in a book.

_"I'm near the kitchens now,"_ Hermione reminded him. _"I'll grab a bite later." _

The boys had reluctantly said their good-byes to her, and she began her descent to the quarters she shared with Severus.

Hermione opened the door to their quarters to find light spilling in through all the windows, including through the doorway to her room, which should have not been open, and the door to Severus' room, which she had never seen open before.

Hermione drew her wand and went to Severus' door first.

She peered into his room to see a large bed with a black bedspread and a mahogany headboard. There was a small table near the bed with an oil lamp on it. A small wooden chest with a lock lay at the foot of the bed.

The walls were lined with books and a window was set into the wall to her right. It was wide open, thick black curtains pulled back and thin, white under curtains moving with the breeze.

The wall to the right had two doors. Hermione guessed they were for the closet and bathroom since she saw no wardrobe. She decided not to peer into those yet, but uttered an incantation that locked them from the outside.

She didn't want any unpleasant surprises if this was an ambush.

Hermione approached her rooms warily. As she began to walk into them, she met Crookshanks, who meowed loudly.

"Hello?" she heard Severus call out.

"Oh, hello," called out Hermione, feeling a bit silly. "Be right in."

She hastily ran back to his rooms and unlocked the doors before he thought she was crazy. She would have to try harder to make a good impression if she wanted to be in the Order.

Hermione entered her rooms to find Severus perched on the oversized ledge outside her window. She tossed her book bag on the table before walking over to him.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked cautiously. Her best thought was that some type of moss growing on the castle was a useful potions ingredient. Her worst was that he'd been Imperiused and was about to jump to his death.

As she eased over to him, realization dawned on her and she rolled her eyes.

"Fishing," said Severus, snapping his line out over the water without turning to look at her.

Hermione peered out the window and saw that behind the decorative gargoyle, there were was a generous ledge.

"There's room for another if you'd care to join me." He smirked as if he already knew her answer.

"I think I'll pass," said Hermione, turning green as she looked down several hundred feet to the water. The line and reel were obviously enchanted. "Thanks anyway."

"Suit yourself." Severus sniffed. He felt a tug on his line and focused his attention on it.

Hermione turned to see Dobby entering her rooms with various containers.

"Will Madame want her dinner with the professor?" Dobby asked politely.

"I suppose I will," Hermione sighed. She had planned to spend her evening reading, but if dinner had already been arranged, there was no sense in not taking advantage of the situation. She took her book bag off the table and set it near her bed. "The table is fine, Dobby. Thank you."

Hermione watched as Dobby unpacked rice, seaweed, sesame seeds and several small trays. He lifted the lid off a small bowl of crab and began chopping.

"You know, Dobby," Hermione said as she watched him prepare ingredients, "you don't need to wait on us. We're capable of going to the Hall for meals like everyone else."

"It is Dobby's pleasure, Madame!" Dobby beamed. "And it is no problem at all since Madame and Professor sleep so close to the kitchens!"

Hermione wanted to point out that the kitchens were at least two floors away, but instead she asked: "What are you preparing for us?"

"Sushi, if I can catch a decent sized tuna," Severus said from the window, struggling with his line.

"There's no tuna in this lake," Hermione said, thinking about the time a distant cousin had treated her to sushi in London.

"There is if Dumbledore decides there will be," said Severus with a smirk as she watched him flick his wand in the direction of the lake.

She supposed she'd been naive to think he'd reel it in by hand when he could use magic.

Dobby began chanting under his breath as the fish glided through the air to the table.

As Hermione watched, the fish was cleaned, cut, prepared, and chilled before it even reached its destination. The scraps were whisked into a small iron pot as the thin slices of fresh fish fell onto the cold rice dobby had packed into small squares.

"Thank you for letting me break into your quarters to provide us dinner," Severus said as he climbed in through the window.

"Like I really had a choice," Hermione said sarcastically, although she really hadn't minded.

They watched as Dobby chopped vegetables, seafood and different wraps to prepare dinner. The result was a rainbow of food, set neatly on colorful trays across the table. Small black enamel trays of pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce divided the table, and chopsticks lay near the black six-sided plates Dobby had set out.

Dobby cleared away his containers and bowed slightly before he left the room.

"I got the pictures from Colin," Hermione said as she walked over to her book bag. She fished out the large brown envelope.

"Excellent," said Snape as he sat down and put his napkin in his lap.

Hermione sat across from him and handed over the envelope. He opened it and started looking at the pictures as he reached out his chopsticks and started filling his plate.

Hermione watched as he flipped through the pictures. He stopped abruptly and his eyes widened.

"What?" Hermione asked, praying he wasn't staring at the picture of the bed.

"Has your bathroom mirror ever spoken to you?" Severus asked sharply.

"What? No! Why?" Hermione frowned at him.

Severus got to his feet and drew his wand.

Hermione reached up slowly and took the picture from him. It was a close up of her towel rack. In the background, an elderly, white-haired witch peered out from the mirror.

She winked.


	8. Greetings and Meetings

Hermione stared at the magical photograph in front of her. The elderly, winking witch shown in the mirror looked pleasant, even a bit cheeky.

Hermione watched as Severus inched to the bathroom slowly, as if he were trying to stay silent. Hermione followed him, stepping lightly, her wand drawn.

She suddenly felt very silly. If the mirror had wanted to hurt either of them, it had had the chance several times before now. It even had a crack at Harry and Ron.

Severus entered the bathroom and stared at the mirror above Hermione's sink. He pointed his wand at it.

"Reveal yourself," he demanded to his own reflection.

"Well that's not very polite," said Hermione furrowing her eyebrows at him.

She had thought of the Fat Lady and Sir Cadogen. If it was some sort of enchanted object, it may react negatively to orders.

Severus turned to look at her. "It's a mirror," he said, as if explaining something very simple to a small child.

"I _know_ it's a _mirror,"_ said Hermione visibly annoyed. "But it's been here longer than either of us. If someone tromped into my house and started demanding things, I'd tell it where to go."

"It is nice to see one of you has the manners the good Lord gave a goat," said a gentle faced, elderly witch as the surface of the mirror rippled like water and her image came into focus.

She was dressed in light blue, ancient-looking robes fashioned from a rough fabric. Runes were sewn into the white fur that wound its way around the brim of her tall, pointed hat in neat gold stitching.

Her white hair was pinned up under her hat and her large, light blue eyes twinkled as she grinned mischievously at Severus.

Severus jumped back so suddenly he tripped over Hermione's new enchanted towel warmer (a gift from the wedding) and fell backwards, a tangle of terrycloth and brass rods.

He sat down hard and cracked the back of his skull on the wall behind him. He looked dazed for a moment.

"For crying out loud," Hermione muttered under her breath.

The witch in the mirror gaped in horror and her pale hand fluttered to her lips.

Hermione rushed to see whether Severus had really harmed himself. She ran her hand gently over the back of his head to see if he had broken the skin. To her surprise, his hair felt as if it had too much product in it. Soft, but it left a bit of residue in her hand.

"A bit tickle-brained, is he?" the witch in the mirror asked.

"I beg your pardon!?" Snape looked up sharply.

Hermione quickly assessed the only thing he had hurt was his pride and bit her lips trying not to laugh.

"I'm terribly sorry, Madam," Hermione said as she gave Severus' head a gentle pat. "We just uncovered your existence and he's a bit…" Hermione searched for a word.

"Paranoid?" supplied the witch.

"That works," said Hermione, helping Severus to his feet. He was a bit shaky, but still scowled at both women and kept his wand at the ready.

"I do suppose it would be a shock," said the witch kindly. "The last time I spoke to a soul was the year of our lord 1742. Then Lyons expired and the chamber was empty. He was a charming fellow. Sang in the morning. Lovely voice. Firm backside."

Severus looked taken aback.

"I believe you have a bit to catch up on," said Hermione hesitantly, ignoring the comment about former Headmaster Lyons' backside. Hermione winced, not knowing what the mirror's reaction would be. "The present year is 1997."

"I see," said the witch slowly, obviously shocked. "I cannot understand why I have been left alone for so long. I put so much thought into the area; I thought it would be useful for generations." She seemed genuinely disappointed.

"You're Helga Hufflepuff?" said Hermione, breathing in sharply.

Severus stiffened beside her. She looked at him, but his expression was unreadable.

"Why, yes, dear," said Helga gently, the spider web of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes spreading as she smiled. "I am sorry I did not introduce myself forthwith, but I didn't want to startle you."

"How did you get in a common mirror?" asked Severus sharply.

Hermione looked at his frowning face and gave him a testy look.

"Why would Lyons remain silent about your whereabouts?" Severus went on, oblivious to Hermione.

"I commissioned a portrait of myself before my death," said Helga in a patient tone of voice. "Then I hid the portrait within the mirror. I don't know why Lyons never told anyone. Perhaps he thought I would be moved if anyone knew."

"How would you put a portrait into a mirror?" asked Hermione with a confused look on her face. _"Why_ would you put a portrait in a mirror?"

"Mirrors used to be made of mercury and glass," said Severus in a much more normal tone of voice.

"I put it in a mirror so it would never deteriorate and it would be simple to clean. The mirror is charmed to be unbreakable, of course." Helga smiled.

Severus finally lowered his wand. "What a clever trick."

"Thank you, sir" said Helga sincerely, bowing her head; not offended at all that someone hundreds of years her junior called her brilliant enchantment a 'clever trick.'

"Mercury and glass?" Hermione said questioningly.

"When creating an object that turns into a teleportation portal, a combination of mercury and glass is used to produce a main component in the anointing potion," Severus said as if quoting a textbook. "Since the portrait would be hidden, not actually teleported anywhere, all the mirror would have to do is act as a point of stasis."

"What?" said Hermione, for once a bit blustered.

Severus smirked. He would file that look away for reference later.

He mentally admonished himself for having such a perverse thought.

"I made a pocket of space, tossed the portrait in, and closed it up," said Helga with a wave of her hand. She wrinkled her nose at Hermione. "He is just trying to impress you."

"I am not," said Severus a little too quickly.

"Yes, you are," said Helga knowingly. "I have five sons. Do not tell me what you are thinking; I see it in your face before you even register it."

Severus was suddenly glad he had taken refuge in the other rooms rather than waking up to an opinionated mirror every morning.

Hermione giggled.

"You reside here now, dear?" Helga asked Hermione gently.

"Yes," said Hermione.

Hermione quickly explained the law passed by the Ministry and why a student was residing in the quarters of a professor before Helga even began to ask.

Hermione had a feeling Helga Hufflepuff was a woman to be afraid of when roused.

"I beg your pardon?" she squawked loudly. "Impertinent fool-born lout!" she thundered. "Leave it to a man to come up with such a beef-witted idea!"

Hermione blinked a few times. So did Severus. It had obviously been awhile since Helga had spoken to anyone.

Hermione made a mental note to convince Helga to teach her medieval slang later.

"Don't tell me," Helga blustered on. "He has to be a descendent of that flap-mouthed Salazar! Never did have anything to rattle between his ears and nests of bastards everywhere! I suspect his offspring would be no better!"

Hermione and Severus were both silent. Their faces went slack of expression.

"Something is horribly wrong," said Helga. Her eyes darted from Severus to Hermione. "What has happened?"

Severus reached up and pulled the mirror off the wall. A small silver hook remained, along with a faint discoloration on the wall where the mirror used to be.

Helga looked startled and grabbed the inside of the frame to keep her balance as she was jostled around.

"I'm not going to eat my dinner in a bathroom," he said firmly as he walked out, pushing past Hermione. "And if I have to discuss unpleasant things I'm not going to be hungry."

Hermione made a face at him, but followed.

Helga's eyes widened as Hermione pulled a blue, overstuffed chair over to the table and Severus propped the mirror up in it so they could talk to Helga comfortably.

"Has Hogwarts degraded to a state where they cannot even afford to cook its food?" Helga asked as she looked at the sushi, appalled.

Hermione quickly explained sushi to Helga, and assured her it was very good. Helga then spotted the photographs and was fascinated. Hermione tried to remember what she knew about the history of photography, but she knew there were giant gaps in her knowledge and told Helga as much.

"Well," said Helga, trying to take in some of the changes. "I see things have evolved greatly."

Severus decided the best place to start with history was after Lyons had left. Voldemort had been such a big part of their recent history, Severus decided it would be simpler to give her a history lesson covering the last two centuries.

Hermione often went to her bookshelf to consult a question when their memories failed them or Helga had a question they couldn't answer.

When dinner was finished, Dobby returned to clear their plates. Severus stopped him as he was leaving.

"Dobby, I would like it if you could install a small hook in a prominent place in the parlor for Mistress Hufflepuff's mirror," said Severus.

"Yes, sir," said Dobby cheerfully. "Is there anything else you would be wanting, sir?"

"Some dessert, perhaps," said Severus.

"Only if it isn't too much trouble," said Hermione hastily, shooting Severus a warning look. He was getting far too used to the little elf's help.

"Some dessert and one hook," repeated Dobby. "I will return shortly sir and madams."

"Thank you, Dobby," said Severus. "Where were we?"

"Grindelwald," said Hermione.

Severus continued talking through their dessert of trifle, and by the time Dobby wheeled in Severus' tea service, he had begun talking about Tom Riddle and Voldemort. When he finished, Helga was shaking her head in sorrow.

"I never thought anyone would pay that lack-witted fool an ounce of thought past his death," Helga said.

Severus stayed uncomfortably silent. Helga didn't seem to notice.

"So that is where we are, is it?" Helga asked.

"Yes," said Hermione. "You're up to date, more or less."

"I would thank you for taking the time to speak with me," said Helga smiling, although strained. "I would much like to see my new area. It's been so long since I've had new things to look at, and I would expect you are ready to retire."

Hermione thanked Helga for revealing herself to them and bid her and Severus a good night before Severus carried the mirror into the parlor. The stone arch of Hermione's doorway shrunk into the form of the purring cat once again.

A gaudy gold frame was attached to the wall near the cat with a hook nailed in the center. Red velvet curtains hung from either side so the mirror could be hidden if desired.

The elf did seem to take things to the extreme.

Severus hung the mirror and Helga smiled at him.

"What are you smiling about?" Severus asked, uncomfortable with the way she was smirking at him.

"You both claim this is a marriage of convenience, but she has caught your eye," Helga said knowingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Severus, visibly caught off guard.

"You respect her mind," Helga said simply. "What else could one need in a wife?"

"Who says I want a wife?" asked Severus scowling.

"I didn't say you wanted one," said Helga knowingly. "I said you need one."

"I do not _need_ anything," he sniffed imperiously. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"That's what they all say," said Helga, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

Severus threw his hands in the air and stormed into his rooms. He slammed the door behind him.

"Impertinent whelp," Helga puffed. "He can't deny it forever."

* * *

Hermione lay on her back, staring at the underside of her canopy. The moonlight streamed in her window and cast a ghostly blue sheen over everything in the room.

Hermione couldn't help but think how romantic the setting was.

This was quickly followed with the realization that the trifle had gone straight to her head. She giggled to herself in the dark.

As she fell asleep she wondered what it would be like if he kissed her again.

* * *

"Best of luck to you, my dear," said Professor Flitwick to Hermione as he shook her hand heartily in the Great Hall. Banners displaying all the House colors were suspended in the air over all the people milling about.

The last day of term had crept up on them. Hermione smiled at her tiny professor before giving him a hug. When they broke apart Flitwick burst into tears.

"There, there," said Professor Hooch, rushing over to pat him on the back.

"They grow up so fast," Flitwick said to no one in particular as he wiped his face with a large blue handkerchief.

A brown-haired Ravenclaw girl gave him a hug and he bawled even harder.

"Wouldn't be the same if Flitwick didn't get the vapors at least once during the send-off ceremony," Snape remarked to Hermione as she took her place beside him at the end of the row of teachers.

"He does this every year?" said Hermione, giggling.

"Like clockwork," said Severus as he opened his program. "There's just the closing speech and the rest of the students will come in for the end-of-year feast. Then we'll be off."

"What's the rush?" Hermione asked.

"Order initiations tonight," Severus said quietly. "You, Ron, Harry and Neville are going to be inducted into the Order of the Phoenix."

"What!" Hermione squeaked. "So soon? It's that easy?"

"We decided we'd better act soon or you might be up to real mischief," Severus said, a corner of his lips quirking.

"Thank you for your faith," said Hermione dryly.

* * *

A thunderclap sounded over number twelve, Grimmauld Place, and Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville watched as scraps of parchment with their names written in their own blood drifted into a goblet full of flickering gold flames.

"Well," said Dumbledore, smiling as he blew out the magical fire. "Who's up for biscuits?"

"I'm in," said George or Fred Weasley.

"Good idea," said Fred or George Weasley.

"I'll go put a kettle on," said Arthur Weasley, patting his wife on the shoulder.

"Congratulations," said Remus Lupin, looking at them through heavy-lidded eyes.

"Thanks," said Hermione.

Ron and Harry were already going over some diagram with the twins.

"I hear you've already been given an assignment," said Remus with a smile.

"St. Petersburg," said Hermione.

Ron and Harry looked up.

"You're going to Russia?" Ron asked. His eyes shot to Severus.

Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"To see the Mystic Brotherhood," Hermione said, a little awed. "I've been reading all about them. Well, what little I can find, anyway. They're really secretive and they've been around forever!"

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Remus said, taking a teacup with a few biscuits perched on the saucer from Arthur. "You'll find the trip very informative."

"Rasputin was a member," Ron said, relaxing a little. "They're supposed to have one of the largest libraries in existence."

"I know," said Hermione, surprised that Ron knew about them, but then again, he had grown up around wizard lore. "I wonder if I'll get a look at it. It'll keep me busy for ages!"

"Wish you well, Hermione," said Harry, looking happy and sad all at once.

"Thanks," said Hermione, feeling a ball tighten in her chest.

They were done with school, given their assignments, and would be splitting up soon.

She felt like she was losing a part of herself when she looked at Ron and Harry. She would _not_ cry. That would set them all off and it wouldn't make a very good impression.

Hermione looked around the kitchen.

With the exception of her parents, everyone she cared about was in this room, and they were all in very grave danger. She looked at Ron, Harry, Neville, and the twins laughing amongst themselves and wondered which of them would be injured or die. She watched Mr. and Mrs. Weasley bustle about as they got tea and sweets for everyone and thought of how much they were risking. Dumbledore, Lupin, and Severus, who worked so hard to keep Voldemort away from the next generation of magical citizens. Mrs. Longbottom, who Hermione suspected, may be the only witch in the Wizarding community that Voldemort might have a cool respect for.

Not all of the Order members were present, of course, but there were enough that Hermione finally felt the weight of what they were doing rest on her shoulders.

"I'm very proud of you, Neville," said Mrs. Longbottom, beaming.

Neville smiled shyly at the room, surprised he had even been asked to join the Order.

"So, what _is_ the Mystic Brotherhood?" Harry asked.

"Private academy of sorts," said one of the twins. "Really elite. They only take a few outside students at a time, and then only if they're done with regular schooling. You have to be born into the right family to be considered for the Brotherhood. I hear most are brought in as small children and never leave. Once you're in, you're in for life."

"Dedicated to the retention and acquisition of information," said Neville, as if he were reciting something. Then he snorted. "Bunch of leftover monks."

"But very, very powerful," said Dumbledore, sitting down across from them and dipping a chocolate biscuit in his tea. He turned towards Severus who was sitting silently to his right. "Will you be staying at your family estate, Severus?"

"I was planning to, yes," said Severus slowly as he stirred his tea.

It seemed to Hermione that he wasn't comfortable talking about his family having an estate.

Ron started shooting daggers with his eyes at Severus.

"There are twenty-three rooms in the estate, Mr. Weasley. I assure you, the young lady will have more privacy than entirely needed," Severus said in a tired tone.

Ron turned red.

"Really, Ron," Molly said to her son, annoyed. "This ridiculous sham of a marriage is the perfect excuse to take a trip to see the Brotherhood."

Hermione wondered who she was more annoyed with.

"It really _is_ the chance of a lifetime," Hermione said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"So that's the way it's going to be then?" Ron said stiffly.

"It's the way it has to be," said Hermione softly.

"If you'll excuse me, I've lost my appetite," said Ron, pushing himself away from the table and standing up.

"Come on, Ron," said Harry, pleadingly.

"I know it's the way things have to be," said Ron sadly. "I didn't say I had to like it."

Ron walked into the next room and they heard him activate the Floo network to go to the Burrow.

"Where'd Ron go?" asked Arthur as he returned to the table and sat down next to Neville.

"Didn't take Hermione's assignment well," said Remus.

"Ah," said Arthur, pressing his lips together. "Well, he'll be busy soon enough. It'll distract him a bit."

"We'll keep him busy," said George, rubbing his hands together over the large parchment spread out in front of him.

"Just keep an eye on him," said Molly. "It's not easy for him."

"Will do," said Fred, reaching out for a quill and tugging on Harry's shoulder to get his attention back to the diagram.

* * *

"How did it go?" Helga asked excitedly as Hermione and Severus walked back into their sitting room through the fireplace.

"She's now a member of the Order," said Severus sullenly.

"Well you don't need to sound so excited," Helga said, making a face at him. "You might burst with enthusiasm."

"It's a dangerous assignment," Severus said, walking over to a tea service that was pushed into a corner and poured himself a cup.

Hermione thanked the inventor of Ever Perking Pots as he poured her one as well. It was better than her parent's electric tea brewer.

"It's a research assignment," said Hermione with a sigh.

"It's still too close to the Dark Lord for my taste," said Severus bitterly. "They say he might be in Siberia."

He walked into his rooms and came back out with a flask. He poured a healthy dollop of whisky into his tea, then repeated the procedure with the other cup and handed it to Hermione.

Thank you," Hermione said as she accepted it.

As she drank she felt the burn of the alcohol down her throat. She really wished she had eaten more than a few biscuits during the day. She had even picked at her food during the feast, she had been so nervous about the induction ceremony for the Order.

"I believe I may be able to get you a few things from the Brotherhood's library to examine, even if I can't get you full access," said Severus taking a sip from his cup.

"That would be incredible," said Hermione downing her cup. With the day over, she suddenly felt her hunger creep up on her. She felt too lazy to go to the kitchens for food. She reached for the teapot again and refilled her cup. "Thank you."

"I'm sure you'll find the Russian Estate to your liking," said Severus as if he were briefing her. "It has a small library of its own. Although the books are fairly common for the area, you may find them interesting."

Hermione sipped at her tea and tasted whisky. Apparently the cups were enchanted to remember how you liked your tea and dressed it accordingly.

She sipped slower. She _had_ finished her schooling and had been inducted into the Order. It was cause for some celebration.

"I'm sure I'll find more than enough to do with my time," she assured him.

"Undoubtedly," said Severus.

* * *

Hermione slid one leg out of her bed and placed it flat on the floor. The spinning room slowed by a fraction. She fought the urge to give herself a thumbs-up, a motion she had never used before but felt the situation may warrant it.

If moving wasn't such a nightmare.

After four cups of tea, Severus had finally helped her to bed and got her sleeping things for her. He had assured her he would have a potion ready to help her with her inevitable headache in the morning.

Then he had the nerve to smirk at her.

She glared at the underside of her canopy, annoyed. It was his idea to drink the damn whisky in the first place. He had probably done it to make her look foolish in the first place.

Hermione didn't doubt he would have helped her change into her night things if asked, but she blushed at the mere thought of disrobing in front of him.

He had _smirked_ at her! The nerve!

The worst part was that he looked so attractive when he did it Hermione couldn't get it out of her mind.

"It's just the whisky," Hermione muttered to herself.

Crookshanks meowed questioningly and butted his head against Hermione's left hand. She scratched him absentmindedly. He purred and curled up against her to sleep.

Hermione found herself slipping in and out of sleep. Severus' face swam in front of her in and out of dream.

She breathed in near a lock of her hair that picked up the scent of him and felt her body react to the sweet smell of spices and herbs.

Hermione imagined Severus placing the gentle kiss he had given her on their wedding day on more private parts of her person. She wondered what his nose would cause her body to do.

'_I would never be doing this without the alcohol,'_ thought Hermione to herself as her hands slid over herself.

Hermione twisted her form under the sheets. She allowed herself to get near to climax, but didn't allow herself to fall over the edge. She teased herself higher and higher as her thoughts about Severus grew more carnal.

She instantly clamped a hand to her mouth as she finished, before she remembered she didn't share a bedroom with two other girls anymore. She giggled in the dark and enjoyed her afterglow.

_'Nothing to be ashamed of,'_ Hermione thought to herself as she turned over and cuddled under her covers. _'He is my husband, after all.'  
_  
She laughed aloud at the absurdity of it all.


	9. The Snape Estate

When Hermione woke up, her hand was still dipped under the elastic waist band of her panties.

_'I must've been tired,'_ she thought to herself as she removed her hand. When she tried to move, pain lanced through her skull.

"Ow," she complained as she brought her hand up to her head.

Even that hurt.

Crookshanks rose beside her and hopped to the floor between her bed and the curtain. When he poked his head through to enter her room, a sliver of light poked through and lay across Hermione's eyes.

"Oh, Gods!" Hermione groaned miserably.

"Good morning, Sunshine," a deep, sarcastic voice came from her room.

She moaned an incoherent response and prayed to God he hadn't looked in on her and found her in such a private moment. Had she even closed the door to her room last night? Had he _heard_ her?

Severus pulled back her curtain and shook his head disappointedly as she pulled her pillow over her face.

"You can hardly drink this buried under there," he said, motioning to the wooden goblet he held in one hand.

"I could conjure a very long straw," her muffled voice floated to him.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I doubt you're in any condition to conjure anything," said Severus in a stern tone.

Hermione ventured her bushy head out of her bedding.

Severus stifled a laugh. She looked just like his mother's cousin, Lilith.

He was suddenly thankful he was blessed with black hair that behaved itself, for the most part.

It looked like someone had hit Hermione with a truck and then zapped her with a lightning spell.

"You certainly don't look fit to do anything," said Severus, handing her the goblet.

"I feel terrible," said Hermione, sipping at the goblet. Her headache began to subside. "Thank you."

"I would advise you to stay away from alcohol if that's your reaction to it," said Severus seriously.

"I think I'm inclined to agree with you," admitted Hermione, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What are you going to do once we get to Russia?" Severus asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Refill my glass with water and fake it," Hermione groaned, setting the goblet down on her bedside table.

Severus allowed himself a small snort as he took the empty goblet from her.

"Well, you'll be faking it soon," Severus said. "We leave this afternoon."

"So soon?" Hermione asked as she turned pale.

"Well, we are going under the façade of a honeymoon," Severus said with a distasteful look on his face. "I believe I'm supposed to appear eager."

"Shouldn't I appear eager as well?" Hermione asked as she tried to subtly rearrange her bedclothes. She prayed she wouldn't be exposed in any way as she left her bed.

"I'm not sure you should appear _too_ eager." Severus swallowed as she moved under the sheets. "Some might find it suspicious."

"Not after they talk to Lucius Malfoy," Hermione snorted as she swung her feet over the side of her bed.

"That's true," snorted Severus. "Still, best not over do it."

He watched her walk across her bedroom in a sleeveless white cotton shift. The light filtered through it softly as she passed by the window briefly.

_'Gods, when did I get so old?'_ Severus thought to himself.

"How long will we be gone?" Hermione asked, looking at herself in the mirror inside the door of her wardrobe and making a face.

"Most of the summer," said Severus, trying to think of anything besides her nightgown.

"I see," said Hermione, walking over to a bookshelf. She reached a hand up and ran it over a small grouping of blue books.

Severus realized she was attempting to look as if she were examining the tomes in front of her. He also knew that she was disappointed to be leaving before she was able to spend any time with her parents. The whole thing was moving far too fast for his taste, he couldn't imagine what she thought of everything.

It pained him, but she was more than a student to him now. More than a wife, even.

She was his partner in the Order and they had a job to do.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," said Severus awkwardly. "This is a lot of responsibility for someone your age to process so quickly."

"I imagine you had been through much more by the time you were my age," said Hermione hoarsely.

She didn't say it maliciously. It was just a statement to her. Severus tried not to physically flinch.

"Some people could live through several lifetimes in order to go through as much as I have," said Severus dryly. "I would never hold it as an example of good decision making."

Hermione chuckled, more out of nervousness than anything.

"I guess not," she said, turning to him, wiping a few tears away, but smiling.

Severus grabbed hold of some deep, hidden away part of him even though it hurt.

Maybe it was the spring air. Maybe it was the sight of her bushy hair in the morning. Maybe it was that horrible, old-fashioned nightgown.

It might have even been the tears rolling rebelliously down her cheeks, finally cracking the strong front she had been holding up so well.

It reminded him of another girl many, many years ago. It felt as if his heart wrenched in his chest.

"You are going to _be_ something, Hermione," Severus said seriously. "You are competent and you possess a practical creativity that doesn't come along very often. _Never _be afraid of how far you can go on your own."

Then he patted her shoulder awkwardly.

Hermione was appreciative nonetheless.

He smelled pleasant. The lingering scent of a pleasant smelling soap.

He felt the soft skin of her shoulder under his hand. Felt the cotton move under his fingers. He watched as a wild curl winded its way up to finally settle across the back of his knuckles.

There was nothing wrong with a chaste touch, Severus reasoned with himself as he stiffly put an arm around her. She sighed and leaned against him and he relaxed a little.

He was the cause of her distress and was comforting her. She was no longer his student and technically his wife, a half-hug was within reason.

At least until his lower regions latched on to the idea that his _wife_ was in his arms and it had been a long time since he made love in the morning.

Severus leaped back as he felt his body respond eagerly. He dramatically swept his cloak around himself.

"I apologize for the suddenness of the arrangement," said Severus stiffly. "But it would be ideal if you were ready by three o'clock."

Hermione let out the breath she had been holding. For a moment it had almost felt like he had enjoyed touching her. Apparently a few seconds was all the human contact he could stand.

"I can be done sooner if needed." Hermione nodded firmly.

"How soon?" Severus asked in a surprised voice.

He had expected her to be more sentimental than this. Would she never stop surprising him?

Hermione looked at the small wooden clock Dobby had hung on her wall. "Noon and we can catch lunch before we go."

"Well," said Severus a little startled. "Noon will be fine."

"Good," said Hermione.

Severus turned quickly and left her quarters. The door shrunk behind him as he left.

_'That probably made him feel really uncomfortable,'_ Hermione thought to herself. _'But he was the one that initiated it.'_

Hermione still could smell hints of the lingering scent of him. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeper.

* * *

_'That was wrong,'_ Severus chided himself as he stormed to his rooms. _'Shouldn't have let it go that far.'_

He laid on his bed, not even bothering to take his shoes off. He opened his trousers to take some pressure off the situation.

In his fantasy, Hermione had lifted her nightgown over her head and discarded it. She had then pointed a wand at him and rendered him in a similar state before leading him to the bed and letting him pound her senseless.

When he finished, he lay quietly, shaking and trying to catch his breath.

He was glad the Russian estate was so big. They would both be busy; perhaps he'd be able to shake her out of his head then. They could go for days without seeing each other if he worked at it.

Severus cleaned and righted himself before opening the door from his personal chambers. Hermione was already waiting for him in the receiving room. Her trunk sat at her feet and Crookshanks lay sleeping in a cage stacked on top of it.

He dragged the trunk he had packed earlier this morning out of his room and went over to the fireplace.

"We need to take the Floo to the nearest Portkey Station," Severus said.

"Err… sure," said Hermione, getting to her feet.

She had never heard of a Portkey Station before, but she had never traveled internationally using magical means before.

"Don't forget to keep a travel journal!" Helga reminded from her place on the wall. "I want to hear all about it! And don't forget to take scores of those photograph things!"

"We won't," Hermione promised. "And Professor Dumbledore said he's going to have you transferred to his office while we're gone. You can catch up with the other Headmasters and not be so lonely. Dobby will be in later for you."

"That would be satisfactory," said Helga, smiling serenely.

It was a look Hermione had seen on her own mother, and it had always been cause to worry.

Helga continued: "It will be wonderful to talk to the other Headmasters. I am looking forward to having a word with Lyons."

"Merlin help him," Hermione muttered.

"Portkey Station," Severus said, throwing Floo powder into the dancing flames as he rolled his eyes. Green flames leapt up, and Severus and Hermione were whisked away from Hogwarts.

* * *

"Welcome home, my dearest darling!" A light, melodical female voice called out in a Russian accent as Severus and Hermione finally arrived at his family estate in St. Petersburg.

Hermione looked up and stiffened at the sight of a pretty, dark-haired, young witch striding towards her and Severus.

She wore black silk robes and gold bangles at her wrists. Her mouth was curved in a sly smile that accentuated her high cheekbones and her twinkling, black eyes.

"Hello, Mother," said Severus wearily. He bent down to kiss her cheek as she embraced him.

Hermione blinked. Her mother-in-law didn't appear to be any older than Severus was.

"You don't need to sound so excited, Severus," said Severus' mother with a pout.

"Our trip was quite an adventure," said Hermione, finally noticing she was almost completely covered in dust and grime from their traveling. "They gave us the wrong portkey in Stockholm and we ended up somewhere in the Congo."

"You poor, poor dears," Severus' mother said as she embraced Hermione, her bangles clattering noisily.

Hermione began to wonder if this was a joke. Clearly Severus had not come from this woman and the man she had met earlier. They seemed to be so pleasant.

Severus' mother pulled away and waved her wand at them.

Hermione felt the dust and grime pulling away from her person. It formed into a small ball in front of Anastasia, combining with a similar one from Severus, and it floated into a small, decorative wastebasket in nearby.

"We were wondering why you were taking so long." Severus' mother put an arm around Hermione's waist and fingered one of Hermione's frizzy curls as she smiled. "Your father was starting to worry."

"I'm sure." Severus snorted.

Hermione finally got a moment to look at her surroundings.

The room was enormous. The white marble fireplace was large enough to transport the entire Weasley family and a few friends.

Gold ivy sectioned the walls into neat rectangles and paintings of landscapes were prominently displayed within them.

The high, vaulted ceiling had large pink roses blooming across it that seemed to twinkle in a vaguely familiar pattern.

Hermione noticed the black, polished floor rippled as people moved on it, almost like they were on water.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Madame Snape." Hermione bobbed slightly as she smiled shyly at Severus' mother.

"Do call me either Mother or Anastasia," Severus' mother said, smiling warmly.

"I tried to control her," a deep voice floated in from a set of large double doors. Jacob Snape reclined in the doorframe. "But she insisted on coming right away. She even dodged my Leg-Locker Curse."

"I'm sure you did your best, Father," Severus sighed. He waved his wand at their trunks and they vanished. So did Crookshanks' cage, although the fuzzy cat remained.

He meowed and stretched.

"What a handsome little fellow!" Anastasia exclaimed as the orange tomcat padded over to sniff her.

To Hermione's surprise, Crookshanks flopped at Anastasia's feet and began rolling on the hem of her robes, purring happily and pawing the air.

"He's usually not so rude," Hermione said, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"It is entirely my fault," said Anastasia as she waved Hermione off as she reached for Crookshanks. "I was flittering around the garden this afternoon and got into the catnip."

"Hope you like him," Severus chuckled. "He's your friend now. His name is Crookshanks."

"Hello, Crookshanks," said Anastasia, scratching him behind his ears. Crookshanks meowed his adoration and twisted over on his back. "Oh, he is adorable!"

"He's found a slave," Severus smirked. He turned to his father who had come over to give Hermione a hug. "Father, we're starving. I'd like to visit the kitchens."

"The dining room has been readied for a nice meal," Anastasia said, still beaming.

"Mother, there was no reason to go to all that trouble," Severus said embarrassedly.

Hermione wondered how fancy the dining room really was if this was the Floo room. It didn't take her long to find out.

In the adjoining chamber, an impossibly long, 17th century dining table stretched the length of the room. Thankfully, four chairs were set up at the same end of the table.

Once again, the room where she ate, she could also view the colors blooming the early evening sky. In addition, the walls seemed to be made of live trees growing very close together. Their branches seemed to stretch out above them, shading the table from the strength of the full light of the sky, streaming it through the leaves. Small globes of white light hovered over the table.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Hermione remembered herself. "I'm sure we'll have a wonderful stay."

"At least one of you remembered your manners," said Anastasia, looking annoyed at her son. "Thank you, dear. We are just happy to see our Severus finally settling down."

Severus pulled a chair out for Hermione and sat next to her.

A turkey lay on a silver platter, steaming perfectly, and warmed by a preservation spell. Stuffed mushrooms decorated the plate around it and each plate had a bowl of spinach and beet salad. Fresh bread lay cooling on wooden trenchers nearby.

"Bless the food, Severus," Anastasia smiled at him as he pulled his chair up to the table.

Hermione folded her hands politely as Severus bowed his head and chanted a prayer in a language she didn't know. She suddenly had a vision of him doing the same thing as a young child.

She peeked at him through the brown curls draped over her face as she bowed her head out of respect.

Severus helped Hermione fill her plate while Jacob carved a piece of turkey for her. Hermione noticed as she waited for her plate that the green carpet really was thick grass, growing up from the floor. She slipped her shoes off and curled her toes in it. It felt refreshing after the long day of travel.

Hermione picked up a fork and examined it. The glasses were crystal and she assumed the plates were as well, but she was amazed at her clear glass forks and knives. The person that had made these was a master at their craft.

"This is delicious," said Hermione, sampling some of the food. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of a warm, home-cooked meal in her mouth.

"We're glad you like it," said Jacob, smiling widely for the first time since they had arrived. "Will you be staying all season?"

"I was planning on it," said Severus as he took a few mushrooms for himself.

"I still think you should come visit us in France for awhile," said Anastasia.

"So I hear," Severus said, avoiding answering her. He watched as his father uncorked a bottle of champagne and filled all four glasses.

Hermione stared at her glass, turning slightly green. Severus fought back the urge to snicker at Hermione's expression.

"Might make you feel better," he whispered to her. He watched as she experimentally took a sip and then nodded almost imperceptively at him.

Small bowls of strawberries appeared near their dishes.

"Don't overdo it," Severus warned.

"Have you ever been to France?" Anastasia asked Hermione.

"Yes," said Hermione truthfully. "I think it's why Severus chose Russia. I had never been here before."

"There are so many things to see here," Anastasia conceded. "You'll be busy all summer."

"No doubt," Hermione agreed.

* * *

Hermione looked at Severus across the great expanse of bed, her arms crossed. A blue bathrobe was tightly belted around her waist and some of her white nightgown poked out from behind it.

"I didn't know they were going to stay the night," Severus said apologetically. He was wearing his usual t-shirt and black flannel pants. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you couldn't have thought they'd be making off for the Portkey Station to be off to France after what we just went through today," Hermione said crossly. "I just don't understand why you have to sleep on the floor. There's plenty of room up here."

_'That's what I'm afraid of,'_ Severus thought to himself.

"What if I snore?" Severus asked her as he crossed his own arms.

"I can still hear you if you're on the floor," Hermione said, annoyed.

"Not if you put a silencing charm around the bed," Severus reasoned. He was getting irritated. It was almost as if the girl actually wanted him in bed with her.

"I can see the sense in that, except that I've seen you sleep a number of times, and I've never heard you snore once," Hermione said as she pulled back the covers.

"Fine," Severus snapped, glaring at her. "But if I do, you are to kick me directly to the floor."

"I'll have _no_ problem doing that," Hermione said as she undid the belt to her robe.

"I think I'll go take a proper bath," Severus said, thinking about relieving his needs before they made themselves known. "I need it after today, and it will give you a chance to fall asleep before I come in and have the chance to disturb you."

"Fine," Hermione said as she slipped between the covers. "I'll probably be asleep by the time you get out."

Severus felt his body respond to her words.

_'She wasn't talking to you, _this_ time, either!'_ Severus snarled silently to himself.

"Well then, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." He tried to look normal when he nodded at her, but it looked pained.

* * *

Severus walked back into his bedroom, his hair still damp from his bath. He had relieved himself twice before he had finally pulled the plug in the antique tub. He was no longer a young man and felt sore and extremely tired from the experience, but he was sure it would do the trick.

There was a single candle burning by the bed, and he saw Crookshanks' ginger, curled up form standing out on the dark coverlet.

On the side he intended to sleep on. At this point he had gotten used to the idea of sleeping on a comfortable mattress and was disappointed.

"Shoo, kitty," Severus whispered as he tried to pull the covers back.

Crookshanks got up and placed himself firmly in the center of the bed. Then he fixed Severus with a stare that made Severus' cheeks turn pink.

"I'm not _that_ bad, you know," Severus whispered, glancing at the curly, brown mass of curls poking out of the covers on the side opposite to him.

Crookshanks purred and closed his eyes. Severus shook his head and got in the bed.

Perhaps the feline knew what was for the best, after all.


	10. Getting to Know the Family

Hermione woke up to the smell of soap and delicious cologne. She opened her eyes to see Crookshanks bathing himself in the bedroom window. A grey sky was reflecting pinks and yellows. A strong arm was thrown over her, pinning her to the bed.

She examined the hand near her eyes. Small black hairs grew across the back of it, getting thicker as they went up Severus' arm.

Hermione tried to extract herself by sliding away and out of the bed.

When she started to stir, Severus groaned in his sleep and pulled her closer, spooning her firmly. Her night gown had pushed itself up to her waist again, and his morning erection was pressing firmly through his flannel pants, into the thin panties covering her bottom.

_'Oh, this is not fair,'_ Hermione thought crossly, looking at the ceiling. _'He wouldn't want this if he was awake, and it's taking advantage of him.'_

He shifted himself, and one of his hands ended up firmly cupping one of her breasts.

Hermione found herself shifting with him and the end result was his morning erection pressing against her in a very pleasurable way. Her breathing became ragged.

Severus' eyes flew open.

He was holding Hermione in a most inappropriate way, not to mention his nether regions seemed to have taken control in his sleep and had plans of their own. He looked at her and her eyes were closed.

Thank the Gods for small favors.

Probably dreaming of Weasley or another boy her age. She would be a prize for whatever man she chose.

He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder. Then he slowly loosened his grip and slid over to his side of the bed to regain his senses.

Hermione crossed her eyes in frustration.

She tried to control her breathing and not jump on her husband. She looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep as he lay on his back.

She sighed and rose for the day. Maybe a long relaxing bath with a pulsing showerhead would relax her. She grabbed her blue bathrobe and walked to the bathroom.

Severus cracked an eyelid as he heard the door click shut. He raised the covers and looked at the tip of his erection. He saw dampness on the fabric. He swirled a fingertip in it, and then smelled it tentatively.

It was most certainly not his scent. He felt himself throb.

He untied the waistband of his pajamas and dipped his hand underneath. He heard the water of the bath running in the walls and knew she wouldn't be back immediately.

He scraped as much of her scent as he could onto his fingers and breathed in deeply. Not more than a few drops at the most, but a most intoxicating aphrodisiac.

Severus tasted his fingers and ran his hand over his shaft, his hand gripping it firmly. He closed his eyes and entertained a fantasy that he had slowly pulled her nightgown up, smacked her bottom firmly, and placed soft kisses over her shoulders as he ripped her panties off and had her.

In his fantasy, she bucked against him with wild abandon, insisting one of his hands slide over her sex to a rhythm she liked and the other pulling gently and twisting one of her nipples.

As he exploded, the Hermione in his fantasy climaxed, screaming his name.

He felt the soft droplets of his own climax fall on his shirt. He took a moment to regain his breath and looked down at himself. He felt a thin crust cracking on his upper lip as fluids began to dry and pull at his skin.

He blushed furiously. This was depraved.

He ripped his night clothing off and went to the cupboard to get his day clothing so he could dress for the day.

As Hermione walked back in the bedroom, she saw Severus washing his face in a white basin on a small wooden table near one of the walls. He was in trousers and shirtsleeves, his tight vest with so many buttons down the front was undone at the throat, but still outlined his torso.

She had satisfied herself in the bath, but her body wanted him to touch her. She wanted to feel his lips again. On her lips… her shoulder… had he even been awake enough to know he had kissed her the last time?

In the morning light she could see the room clearly. Dark grey brocaded wallpaper ran over the walls, only interrupted by pewter fixtures and accents.

Severus looked up at Hermione. She gave him a dirty look briefly before walking to the heavy black wardrobe with her things were in and pulling out dark brown cloak.

Severus couldn't imagine what he had done wrong. Perhaps the time change was affecting her adversely.

"I think my mother and father will be departing after breakfast," Severus said, drying his face with a small towel.

"What will we do for the rest of the day?" Hermione asked, pinning the cloak closed with a pewter broach.

"I was thinking of seeking conversation with the Brotherhood," Severus said. "We will see if their representative will meet us here."

"Why aren't we going to them?" Hermione asked, disappointed she wouldn't be able to see the library.

Severus hesitated. "Hermione, I think you should sit down."

Hermione sat down in a large, overstuffed chair. "Is there something wrong? Are they dark wizards?"

"They're as neutral as one can possibly get," said Severus dryly. "Their noninvolvement in world affairs has raised eyebrows on more than one occasion."

"All right…" Hermione said slowly.

"They are called a brotherhood for a reason, Hermione," said Severus gently.

"No women allowed," said Hermione furiously. She began to wonder why she even came along.

"There is a reason for it," sighed Severus.

"Really? I'd love to hear it!" Hermione remarked hotly.

"Do you know about the Amazons?" Severus asked.

"The single-breasted archers that wiped out some Greeks by making them think they were prostitutes sent to reward them and killed them in their sleep?" Hermione asked, her nostrils flaring in anger and her brows furrowed.

"What a flair you have for retelling history," Severus said disdainfully.

"Anyway," Hermione said sharply. She really was flustered. Severus tried not to laugh at her stubborn expression.

"Anyway, you have studied the Balance of Energies theory, haven't you?" Severus countered.

"Of course," Hermione snapped at him. "There are feminine and masculine energies in magic using. They can be volatile if applied wrongly."

"Exactly," said Severus dryly. "At one point the Amazons and the Brotherhood were at war. Siberia was the result of a major battle. Millions of Muggles were killed."

"Good Lord," said Hermione, sagging slightly.

"After the Amazons were nearly wiped out, the library was warded to prevent them from enacting a pact of revenge." Severus said quietly, knowing how disappointed she was. "And Polyjuice Potion won't work; it was tried once. The result was - a mess."

Hermione flinched.

She didn't know whether it was because she _had_ been thinking of Polyjuice Potion, or because she had stolen the ingredients to make it from his supplies when she was younger. She felt a pang of guilt.

"I promise, I will see what I can do," said Severus.

"Thank you," Hermione said dully, trying but failing to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Twice and it hadn't even been breakfast yet.

* * *

Anastasia Snape downed the contents of the small blue ceramic bottle halfway through her breakfast and made a bitter face.

Hermione looked at the bottle curiously.

A droplet on the lip of the bottle shimmered metallic green in the sunlight that fell softly through the tree branches in the dining room.

"It is a youth serum Severus came up with while he was still in school." Anastasia beamed. "He was such a clever little boy."

"Really, Mother." Severus pinkened under Hermione's gaze. "I had already been accepted into an advanced training program by then."

He noticed her look: delighted and surprised at his embarrassment. He felt his pink flush deepen into a burning red.

"He came up with this when he was still at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, sniffing the bottle Anastasia had just handed to her. Lemony. "That's amazing."

"It was his seventh-year project," said Jacob. "His mother begged him to try."

"I just wanted to see him make something useful," Anastasia insisted.

Hermione caught Jacob rolling his eyes before his face disappeared behind the Russian language paper he was reading. Hermione couldn't read the headline, but it looked like Viktor Krum's wife, Tristan, had given birth to twin girls.

Tears were openly streaming down Viktor's laughing face as he held one of the tiny girls. The pretty, blonde Tristan looked weary, but smiled at the camera, holding the other twin.

Anastasia noticed Hermione's gaze.

"You are a fan of Bulgaria?" Anastasia asked.

"She's a friend of Krum's," Snape said, taking a sip of his tea. He found his mind wandering to the fact that he had no idea how good of a friend Krum was to her.

"Viktor Krum is your friend?" Jacob's interest was suddenly piqued. "Are you serious?"

"We met during the tri-wizard tournament," said Hermione, knowing the look of a Quidditch fanatic when she saw one. "We went to the ball together."

"You're _that_ girl?" Anastasia asked, amazed. She glanced at Severus.

"Mother," Severus said, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "You've been reading those rags again."

"Only to see if she's done anything scandalous enough to get in them," Jacob snorted.

"Well," said Anastasia, huffing. "One can't help but hear international news."

"That pathetic fib made international news?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"So, what really happened?" Jacob said curiously.

"I'm friends with Harry," Hermione said. "I'm friends with Viktor. We went to a dance almost four years ago. Our mothers still talk to each other. He had a bit of a crush on me for awhile. Obviously he's gotten over it."

Jacob looked at the front of the paper. "Obviously. Well I, for one, am glad that's been cleared up."

Hermione heard a tone of finality and knew Anastasia would talk of it no longer. Her mother had a tone that was similar.

"So," Hermione said, going back to Anastasia. "What does this potion do, exactly?"

"If you drink them religiously you can slow down the aging process," Anastasia said. "If you are elderly it can reverse the aging process altogether."

"How does it do that?" Hermione asked, gaping at the bottle. People would kill for this.

"It makes the body think aging is a disease. It builds and replenishes new cells at an advanced rate," Severus said. "Then it causes the old cells to slough off so you don't get all lumpy with build up."

"That was a bug that took awhile to work out," said Jacob, his shoulders shaking with laughter behind his paper.

"It wasn't funny," said Anastasia hotly. "If you were a gentleman you would never speak of it again."

"Then I'm jolly well glad I'm no gentleman," said Jacob from behind his paper. Then he burped.

"I cannot eat with a pig," said Anastasia, throwing down her napkin. "I am going to gather our things." She rose and stormed off.

"Nosy thing, isn't she?" said Jacob, lowering his paper when he was sure Anastasia was gone.

"Too late to do anything about it now," Severus said, shrugging. He turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry you have to be inflicted with this. She'll get into your parentage at some point. Just remember: she really doesn't intend to be mean or malicious, she just doesn't know any better."

"Alright," said Hermione. "I'm sure she would never mean any harm."

"Indeed," said Jacob behind his paper, making Hermione wonder.

Severus and Hermione saw his parents off after lunch. Hermione watched curiously as Jacob loaded up the flying carpet.

"You ever seen one?" he asked, watching her expression.

"No," Hermione admitted.

"You should get Severus to take you on an aerial tour with the estate carpet," Jacob said. "He was never very much good on a broom, but he can manage a carpet alright."

"I'll remind him, later," said Hermione, glancing back at the house and making out the shadows of Severus and Anastasia arguing in the kitchen window.

"Don't let the Snape temperament put you off," said Jacob tying down a large, red trunk with a thick white rope. "We're a fairly vocal group."

"I knew that," said Hermione, chuckling.

"Suppose you did," said Jacob, smiling at her. "You seem to be a strong girl, you'll do fine. Don't let him walk over you."

"I don't plan on it," said Hermione, straightening herself a bit.

"No one ever plans on it," said Jacob with an amused look on his face.

Suddenly there was a loud noise from the house.

"Jacob!" Anastasia shrieked out the now open kitchen window. It was more of a command than a request.

"See what I mean," said Jacob, finishing his knot and standing up straight.

"Yes, my dear?" Jacob yelled back.

Hermione noticed he made no move to get closer to the house.

"Tell Severus he must at least come visit us for a week in France during his break," Anastasia demanded.

"I'm sure we can manage a week," said Hermione under her breath before something reflecting the annoyed look on Jacob's face came out of his mouth.

"They're on their honeymoon," said Jacob exasperatedly. "They want some time alone, darling."

"They can untangle themselves for a week," said Anastasia firmly. "We have bedchambers in France as well."

"Mother!" Hermione heard Severus behind her in the kitchen, appalled.

She waved a hand dismissively at him.

"I'm sure we can stop on our way back to Britain," yelled Hermione.

Anastasia looked smug as she retreated back to the kitchen, closing the shutters as she pulled her head back in.

"Last stop on the way home," said Jacob, an eyebrow raised at her. "Good choice."

Hermione shrugged.

Anastasia came out of the house carrying a small brown traveling bag, Severus following her with a scowl on his face.

After Jacob and Anastasia had kissed them both goodbye and settled onto the carpet, Hermione and Severus waved them off as they soared away.

"They're taking all that to Portkey Station?" Hermione asked, bewildered as they climbed up the few steps back into the house.

"No doubt they'll rent someone to be their porter once they get there." Severus shook his head as he held the door open for her. "Mother hates having to keep track of all their things with all those people bustling about."

"Why didn't we do that?" Hermione furrowed her brows as they entered the small kitchen. She watched Severus take a kettle off a hook on the wall and fill it with water from a small metal pump in a deep sink.

"Because I didn't think you'd like the idea of paying a wizard for use of his house-elves in such a manner," Severus said stiffly.

"Oh," Hermione said.

He was right, of course.

Hermione looked around the kitchen. The counters were old and made from sort of yellow stone. The floor was yellowish tile. The cabinets and table were of worn wood. Nothing at all like the dining room.

If Hermione hadn't known better, she'd have thought she was in a Muggle kitchen in an old house.

"Pieter should be here soon," said Severus grimly.

He stoked a fire in the hearth and hooked the kettle above the flames before he started setting the table for tea.

"Who is Pieter?" Hermione asked.

"Someone I never thought the Brotherhood would trust with anything," muttered Severus.

"How can I help?" asked Hermione.

It was obvious Severus had a past with this person and she'd find out the gory details soon enough.

"The elves made small cakes last night," said Severus as he opened a cupboard and took out a tin of loose tea leaves. "They should be in the preservation cube on the counter."

Hermione tried not to cringe at the mention of the house-elves. She knew they must be present. She was hoping to discover their whereabouts and recruit them into S.P.E.W. later.

Hermione turned and examined the cube on the counter. It was frosted and she could see _something_ in it, but she couldn't figure out how to open the seamless object.

Severus looked over her shoulder when he couldn't figure out what was taking her so long.

"One of the brightest students at Hogwarts can't figure out how to open a preservation cube?" Severus asked in a sneering, patronizing tone.

Hermione was no longer a student at Hogwarts. He could no longer treat her like a fool. They shared the same name, although not the same life. They were partners in the Order.

Plus, she was still annoyed at him after what had happened this morning in the bedroom. She decided to take Jacob's advice.

She brought her bent arm back sharply and felt it sink into Severus' stomach.

His chin smacked the top of her head firmly as he doubled over.

They both fell to the floor as they tried to balance themselves.

"Well it's nice to see Albus has chosen competent agents," boomed a thick, Russian-accented voice behind them.

"Hello, Pieter," said Severus, pulling himself up from the floor and offering Hermione a hand, although he was still rubbing his sore stomach. "I didn't hear you Apparate."

Hermione looked up, rubbing the top of her head. A lock of black hair dangled in Severus' eyes, and she noticed little lines at the corners of them as they crinkled when he looked down at her in mild amusement.

She felt light-headed. It must be from the bump on her head.

The man who must be Pieter reached out to her other hand, and the men pulled her to her feet.

"I didn't. I rode over on my broom and walked in the back door. You should learn to lock that."

Pieter was a dark haired, tall wizard with a long, thick black beard. His deep burgundy robes seemed to be made out of thick wool and were belted with a belt fashioned of gold braid. A tall, black, brimless hat with a red stone set in the brow and gold embellishments around the edge made him look even taller. Hermione could see the tips of black curly-toed boots poking out from under his hem.

His white teeth glinted ferally at her from the depths of his facial hair. One of his bright blue eyes winked.

"Thank you," said Hermione as she tried not to snatch back her hand.

She watched as Pieter slid the top of the seamless box to the side and grabbed a small pink cake.

"Where are Uncle Jacob and Auntie Stacy?" Pieter asked as he bit into it.

Hermione began to wonder if she should just assume that every sarcastic Russian wizard they ran across was related to Severus.

"Just missed them," said Severus as he scowled at his cousin. "If you wanted to see them you should have been here last night. It would look suspicious if you just showed up in the afternoon as they were leaving. I don't want them involved in this."

"I would say I was taking an afternoon off to take you fishing," Pieter said in thickly accented English, as he checked the kettle over the fire. "They would believe that."

"True," said Severus thoughtfully. "What are you doing Saturday?"

"Fishing with you," said Pieter, not looking at him, but smiling at Hermione. "Do you fish, young lady?"

"Depends on where it's from," said Hermione, thinking of the precarious perch outside her window.

"You do not like the ledge at Hogwarts?" Pieter laughed heartily, a great booming noise. He held out a chair for Hermione at the table and she sat. Pieter pulled up a chair next to her. "It does have the tendency to put one off the first time, but there are many fine fish in the lake."

"The location here is much more conventional," said Severus, putting a small orange cake in front of Hermione. "There's a lake on the grounds. Father keeps it stocked."

"Then I would very much enjoy it," said Hermione politely.

"What a partner," Pieter said, smiling at Hermione. "She is smart and she likes to fish. Could such a vision be more perfect?"

Pieter reached out and put a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, his sparkling blue eyes never leaving hers.

Hermione's cheeks felt warm. No one had ever talked to her like that. No one had ever looked at her like that.

Severus' eyes bugged at his cousin, in spite of himself. His hand clenched the handle of the kettle.

"So how is Anna?" said Severus. His voice seemed a bit high and he thought it cracked slightly.

"Wonderful," said Pieter, smiling widely. "We are expecting a child again!"

"Good God man, get a hobby!" Severus exclaimed in surprise as he poured out tea for them. "What is it now, three?"

"This is the fourth," said Pieter proudly. "I hope this one is a boy. Then we will have two of each."

"Congratulations," said Hermione. "When will the baby be here?"

"Actually, any day now," Pieter admitted as he pulled a wand out of the sleeve of his robes and waved it at a cupboard. A small carton of sugar flew out. "Anna says it has moved in the right way and we will see them soon."

"Should you be away from home?" asked Hermione as Severus put a small pitcher of cream on the table.

"No," said Pieter as he levitated a generous measure of sugar into his cup and stirred it with his wand. "But I have a coin enchanted to vibrate when it is time. I can Apparate to her in the blink of an eye."

"Should be used to it by now," said Severus smirking into his cup of black tea.

"When are you going to find a woman good enough for you, Severus?" asked Pieter, who apparently knew the marriage was one of convienence. "Your house should be full of little shrieking voices. You would be amazed how relaxing it is."

"I have an entire school full of little shrieking voices," said Severus, glancing at Hermione. "That's relaxing enough."

"You never know," Pieter said his eyes twinkling. "After your mission is over you may decide not to bother with a divorce."

Hermione and Severus avoided looking anywhere besides at each other.

Severus reached out to refill his teacup. Hermione took a bite of her cake. They avoided each other's gaze like their lives depended on it.

Pieter inwardly shook his head. That Shacklebolt fellow was right. These two were pathetic. Something had to be done.

"You will dine with us tonight!" announced Pieter as he smiled at them. "I will bring the documents Albus wants you to look over. Anna would love to see you."

"That would be wonderful," said Hermione before Severus could say no. "We'll look forward to it."

Severus frowned into his teacup as he took a sip.

Pieter was planning something.

It made him nervous.


	11. The Titov Family

"Oh, _honestly_," Hermione said in an annoyed voice. "I don't think this is necessary."

Severus was holding out a set of thick, green winter robes and a brown fur cloak.

"You will catch a chill wearing… _that_," Severus said, nodding at the short brown and white striped Muggle dress she was wearing.

He ran his eyes over her again. It had no sleeves. It showed her _knees._ The neckline was so low, it dared to reveal an endearing little freckle just over her-

"They're used to seeing clothing like this, Hermione," said Severus, grasping at straws as he shook the robes at her. "With Anna so close to her time she might feel a little protective about her husband. Especially when you are wearing conventional Muggle clothing that shows more than they are used to."

"Oh," said Hermione, sounding disappointed as she took the robes from him. "I didn't even think of that. You're probably right."

Severus let out a sigh of relief.

Hermione stepped behind a wooden changing screen. It was painted a pale cream with pink roses dappled across the segments and reminded Hermione of something out of a Victorian novel.

Anastasia had insisted on the six paneled obstruction on the grounds that the room was too masculine and needed a bit of lightening up. Hermione and Severus had been thankful for the bit of privacy.

Hermione slipped out of the dress her mother had given her and stepped into the robes Severus had presented her with.

They were surprisingly light, although thick and they seemed to be made out of a material similar to cashmere. She rubbed the material between her fingers curiously and made a mental note to ask Severus about it later.

"Better?" asked Hermione, stepping out from behind the screen. The robes had some form to them, but had a high collar and the hem went down to her feet.

"Much," said Severus, holding out the fur cloak. She took it from him and fastened it with a brooch in the shape of a silver teardrop. "You look very nice."

"Thank you," said Hermione. "Are we Apparating?"

"No," said Severus. "Floo."

* * *

Anna Titov jumped as the flames leapt up in the hearth behind her.

She smiled as her husband's cousin stepped through the flames and gave her a small smile. She always liked it when Severus smiled; he did it so infrequently.

Severus saw Anna put a hand to her pregnant stomach and wince slightly. He ran to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Is it time, Anna?" he cried, his voice slightly high.

Anna scowled at him, her large brown eyes glaring. Her straight black hair was pulled back into a large bun and kohl darkened her eyes and her lips were rouged. Her light brown skin seemed to shine from the various fires in ovens and stovetops in the small kitchen.

"You are as bad as Pieter," Anna said in her rich Romanian accent. "I have done this before, you remember."

Then she whacked him with the wooden spoon she was holding.

Someone giggled, and Anna peered into in the dim light.

She hadn't even noticed the girl's arrival behind Severus.

Severus' new wife was a pretty girl with wild, curly brown hair she had done up. She smiled shyly and Anna smiled back wearily as a bowl of something whisked by Severus' head.

The kitchen at the Titov's was very small. Small yellowish-tan tiles covered the walls and floor. Large wooden cabinets and bins lay above and below the long counter that lined the walls. A large, cast iron, wood-burning stove creaked, and bubbling noises came from it. An assortment of copper pots rested on the top of it, wooden spoons resting on their rims.

Anna reached out to take the girl's hand and pulled her closer. "You brought someone useful, for a change." She said to Severus. She looked at his new wife. "Can you stir a cauldron?"

"Yes," she said, receiving Anna's friendly hug without an introduction.

"Good, then you can stir a pot," said Anna, handing her a wooden spoon, steering her to the stove and taking her cloak from her. "Stir the first two like a simple growth potion, the second like a polishing potion, and the last can be stirred anyway you like. It is just soup. Severus, Pieter is already into the vodka. Stop him. If I have to put up with another evening of off-key opera I may kill him."

The girl laughed as Severus hurried out of the room. "Is it really that bad?"

"It is horrible, and the children think it is amusing and encourage him," Anna said, lowering herself down slowly in a black wooden chair near a small red wooden table. "Sometimes they join in. They sound like werewolves in pain."

"I'm sorry," she said, chuckling as she stirred a pot.

"I would not normally mind," said Anna admittedly, "but I have been having a short temper as of late."

"I can imagine," said the girl, nodding at Anna's midsection.

"I think this will be the last," said Anna thoughtfully. "Any more and he'll have his own army." She paused as she watched Hermione stir. "Thank you for helping."

"No problem," Hermione said, handing Anna a biscuit from a basket hanging from a hook. Anna bit into it and smiled.

"Sometimes I get so busy I forget to eat," Anna admitted.

"Really?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow, not surprised at all.

Anna smiled widely. She already liked this girl. Severus really had found the one for him. It was about time.

* * *

Severus shook his head as he walked into Pieter's den. He seemed to be doing the can-can by himself, as he browsed a bookshelf, holding a small tumbler in one hand.

"SEV-EH-UH-EH-UH-EH-UH-EH-UH!" shrieked a Tarzan yell from a corner.

"Well, goodness, young man," said Severus, amused as he scooped up his young cousin. "How terrifying you have become!"

"I am five," the small child said in almost perfect English. "And my name is Misha Titov."

"Your English is very good, Misha Titov," said Severus as the little boy flung his arms around Severus' neck. "What did you get for your birthday this year?"

"A training broom," he began. Severus winced. "A book about the stars, a book about Quidditch, and an Atlas."

"Very exciting," said Severus, his eyebrows raised.

_"Smatrets,_ Misha!" said a small voice from a corner.

"Bulgaria!" Misha squirmed to be put down.

"Severus!" boomed Pieter. "How kind of you to join us for dinner!"

Severus embraced his cousin. Anna was right; he didn't need any more vodka.

"Your little ones are growing so fast," Severus commented.

"They are five, three and two," said Pieter proudly, looking at the children piled in a corner pouring over an Atlas. "Misha, Nadia, and Tatiana. So far, only Misha speaks English, but the little ones are picking it up."

"I'm sorry we're such a burden," said Severus embarrassedly.

"The children would learn eventually," said Pieter dismissively. "Learning to speak to family is a good enough reason to start. Less pressure that way."

"I never could pick up Russian," said Severus in an annoyed tone. "They may not be able to."

"We spoke only English when you were young," said Pieter. "There was no reason for you to learn Russian. They learn things so quickly they don't understand it is supposed to be difficult."

"You're not _that_ much older than me," said Severus in an annoyed tone, taking Pieter's glass away from him and taking a drink.

"Almost _half_ a decade," said Pieter, walking over to a counter with bottles lined up on it. "Anna is almost _two_ decades younger than me. Seventeen years."

"I keep forgetting Anna is only twenty five," said Severus as he walked over to monitor Pieter.

"It is better to wed them young," said Pieter with a twinkle in his eye. "They are willing to put up with more misbehavior and think it is attractive. Then again, you know all about that, wouldn't you Severus?"

"That was not why I was married to Miss Granger, and you know it!" Severus hissed.

"Oh, so she is _'Miss Granger'_ now," Pieter said loudly as his booming laugh filled the room. "You are in denial, Severus. She is fond of you. Take her, and she will be _yours." _

"Good God, man," said Severus looking over at the children in the corner. "Keep your voice down."

"How do you think they got here?" asked Pieter, raising his glass.

Severus reluctantly clinked his glass to Pieter's. "One can only imagine."

* * *

Hermione sat at the dinner table between Nadia and Severus in a modest room lit by red candles. Pieter led a prayer in Russian and they had lifted their spoons to begin their borscht.

Nadia was intent on telling Hermione the events of the day and didn't seem one bit put off that Hermione didn't speak a word of Russian.

Tatiana stared at Hermione with large eyes and played with her spoon throughout most of the meal. She seemed fascinated with Hermione's hair.

Mushrooms in sour cream and chicken followed. For dessert, little fruitcakes were served carefully by Misha before they retired to the parlor.

Pieter tired quickly after dinner, and he sank into a burgundy velvet couch with a pleasant smile on his face as Misha played the piano for them.

Anna put the girls to bed, then came down to tell them she was going to bed herself, but would look forward to seeing them again soon.

Severus rose from his place near Hermione on a love seat to embrace Anna and place a hand on her stomach. Anna murmured something to him that made his cheeks darken and he glanced at Hermione quickly.

Hermione glanced at Pieter, who seemed to be smiling at the pair.

After Anna retreated from the room, Severus made himself a large drink and sat in a leather chair near Pieter, disappointing Hermione a little.

Their talk of Quidditch turned to fishing, and Misha was told to go to bed before long.

He rose from his seat at the piano and kissed both his father and Severus on the cheek before coming over to give a somewhat surprised Hermione a hug. Hermione watched him slip a book into his pocket before he left the parlor.

"Did he take the book on the desk or the table?" Pieter asked, yawning.

"The trunk," Hermione frowned.

Pieter thought for a minute, then nodded and shrugged. "Ghost stories. At least his sisters are asleep already."

"Did you bring the document?" asked Severus.

"Yes, yes," said Pieter, waving a hand at him. "It is complicated and greatly decayed, though. It will take you some time to go through it."

Pieter walked over to his desk and opened a drawer. He pushed lightly at the bottom of one of the drawers and the bottom swung up. He reached into a hidden compartment and brought out a large package wrapped in brown paper.

"Be careful," warned Pieter. "If they are lost-"

"Nothing will happen," said Severus reassuringly. "I will make sure of it."

He somehow managed to tuck the package into his robes without it showing at all.

"I also have something for you," said Pieter to Hermione, a mischievous grin on his face.

He handed her a blue envelope that seemed to shimmer.

"What's this?" asked Hermione.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Severus incredulously.

Hermione turned over the envelope and broke the seal, green wax with the imprint of an ivy leaf. When she opened the envelope, shimmering silver smoke rose out of it.

_Madam Hermione Snape,  
At the request of the English Ministry of Magic we extend an invitation to you to partake in an information exchange between our countries. Your presence would be welcomed at the Bibliothecha oo Amazon.  
Sincerely yours,  
Inessa Helenasdottir_

"Well this certainly opens doors for us," said Severus, a pleased look on. It was the first time Hermione had ever seen him this way when someone wasn't being threatened with expulsion. "The Amazons are even worse than the Brotherhood at guarding their information."

"They seem to take the Dark Lord's possible presence into what they see as their territory as a personal insult," said Pieter, his eyes darkening.

"Approximate Amazon army size?" Severus asked, opening the top on the packet of papers and peeking in.

"Three hundred warriors strong," said Pieter. "Could you imagine three hundred insulted women looking for you?"

Severus let out a snort. Hermione giggled to herself.

"I still do not feel sorry for him, mind you," said Pieter, waving a finger at Severus as he poured vodka in a tumbler for Hermione. "I am just saying it is not a place I would want to be in."

"Indeed," said Severus, closing the end of the packet that he had been peering in.

The Dark Lord may have bitten off more than he could chew, finally.

He was weakened and hiding, yet managed to catch the attention of the original militant feminist organization. Not to mention, one of the most respected magical elite forces unit in the world.

A wild part of Hermione imagined it would be entertaining to watch.

Finally, Severus and Hermione Flooed back to the Snape estate and made their way to the kitchens so they could put away the basket of leftovers Pieter had insisted on sending home with them.

A small house-elf hopped up on a chair and Hermione jumped back into Severus, startled.

"Cherv will take that for you, Madam," he said politely.

"Thank you," said Hermione.

The elf hopped down and trotted happily into the door to the pantry with the basket.

Hermione lowered a look at Severus.

"We'll talk in the morning," he groaned sleepily.

He'd already had enough for one day.


	12. The Translator

Hermione woke to hear Crookshanks purring and she noticed a second lump weighing down the covers on her bed.

She opened her eyes and saw the small male house-elf she had seen the night before scratching a very happy Crookshanks behind the ears. The house-elf was wearing a clean red tea towel.

Severus had told her to stay in the rooms his mother had prepared for them, that he would stay in his usual rooms just down the hall.

She wasn't sure she really wanted him to leave at all, but couldn't come up with a reason for him to stay that didn't sound suspiciously like she was afraid of the dark and sleeping alone.

"Zdrast-vo-che," said Hermione to the house-elf, tentatively trying to say hello.

She didn't know what to do if the little fellow responded in Russian beyond a greeting. 'Hello' was about as far as she went. She inwardly kicked herself for coming to a country without bothering to learn the basics of its language.

"My mother was born in Scotland, Madam," said the elf in a very odd accent as he bowed to Hermione. It looked like he was trying to be polite and not laugh at what she just said. "I can speak English fluently. My name is Cherv."

"Oh good," said Hermione, relieved. She looked over at her breakfast tray and saw her post stacked on one corner.

Cherv handed her a separate small scroll with a Hogwarts seal on it.

"What's this?" Hermione asked as she took the scroll from him.

"It is from Cherv's cousin, Madam," said Cherv shyly. "I was hoping you could read it to Cherv."

"You can't read?" asked Hermione, surprised, as she took the parchment from him.

"Cherv cannot read English, Madam," the elf confessed as Crookshanks encircled him, butting him with his head and covering him with orange fur. "Cherv can only read and write Russian and Greek."

"Of course," Hermione said, smiling and opening the letter. As she skimmed it, her face widened into a smile.

_Cherv,  
All is well at Hogwarts. The children have gone home for the season, but there is still much to do. The rooms still have to be cleaned and readied for the new students next year._

A new painting of one of the founders has been put in Headmaster's office. She is very nice and Dobby is liking her very much. She often has words with Phineas Nigellus and Dobby is now in charge of repairs in the Headmaster's office if their disagreements escalate. It is interesting work and Dobby is learning all sorts of new words that are Inappropriate to Say in Front of a Lady. Headmaster Nigellus has told me this, and I'm guessing Madam Snape is reading this to you so I cannot write what I have overheard.

Hermione laughed. Phineas was so imperious and Helga was so hard-headed that Hermione was amazed Dumbledore put them in the same room. She felt sorry for the other paintings.

_Dobby thinks you need to tell Madam Snape the Legend of Felix the Kind. She would think it amusing. Also, tell her that her friends miss her very much and hopes she takes care in a place she is not familiar with._

I hope you are doing well and mother asks Dobby to tell you to give our regards to your mother.

Sincerely,  
Dobby  
Hogwarts Free-Elf

"Who is Felix the Kind?" Hermione asked as she stopped reading and refolded the letter.

"Master's great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather." Cherv hopped around on the bed ticking off 'greats' on his fingers. "He freed all the elves on the estate."

"He did?" asked Hermione. Obviously this was a man ahead of his time. Hermione smiled at the little elf with keen interest.

"He thought we would look more dignified in uniforms," said Cherv, ceasing his hopping. He looked woeful. "He was not thinking clearly after a local drinking contest."

"Because uniforms are clothes," Hermione faded off. Ahead of his time, perhaps. Ahead of his vodka, definitely not. "If you're all freed and have uniforms, why aren't you wearing them?"

"We would not want to… well…" Cherv said hesitantly.

"You're embarrassed," said Hermione, reaching for the breakfast tray on the table near her bed. She looked at her open-faced ham and cheese sandwich and blinked. She would have to get used to the food differences here. She didn't want to seem ungrateful to the small elf.

"It's not something to be proud of, Madam," said Cherv.

Hermione sighed and reached for her fork. "You know, Cherv, Dobby quite likes being able to decide who his employer is."

"But then you take the risk of," Cherv looked around to see if anyone else could hear him. He lowered his voice to a whisper, _"unemployment."_

Hermione blinked hard and shook her head as she began to eat her breakfast.

After she ate, Hermione dressed quickly in light green robes and followed Cherv to Severus' chamber. She waited while Cherv knocked on the door for her.

"Enter," Severus' voice called out from inside.

The door opened into a room much smaller than hers.

Dark mahogany paneling lined the windowless walls and deep green carpet covered the floor. A bed with white sheets and a black spread was pushed up against one wall, its covers still messy from Severus sleeping in it last night. Several small bookshelves crouched in corners, while a large green velvet couch and low glass table sat in the center of the room.

Severus sat on the couch wearing a pale yellow bathrobe. Hermione blinked a few times and shook her head. He seemed to be reading a document under a pane of glass laid over the top of the low table in front of him.

"How's your Gaelic?" Severus asked sharply as he frowned at the document on the table.

Hermione winced. "Tolerable."

"Unfortunately, merely _'tolerable'_ is not sufficient," said Severus as he curled his lip at the offending parchment. "I will have to procure a translator."

"Is there anyone trustworthy enough to _be_ a translator?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Severus raised his beetle-black eyes and they bored into her.

"Well," he said sarcastically. "I did have a thought I'd pop down to Economy Translators with a few copies I'll have made and see what they think of it. Thought I'd give the Dark Lord a bit of a break for a change."

Hermione gave him a dirty look. He was beginning to really enjoy those.

He smirked at her. She was really beginning to enjoy that.

"Well, as long as the Amazons are the front line," she said brusquely as she peered at the document.

The only word she had recognized on the page was 'rise.' Her Gaelic was colorful, even if it wasn't practical. She had Seamus Finnegan to thank for that.

She pointed it out to Severus helpfully.

"Too bad Finnegan never had enough brain to think on his own," said Severus, giving her a withering look. "He'd have come in handy."

Hermione frowned, but inwardly agreed with him. It was a shame Seamus and his mother were still in denial. Seamus had gotten much better at charms through the years and would have made a good addition to the Order.

"I sent an owl to Charlie," said Severus. "I expect he'll reply by this evening."

"Weasley?" Hermione asked.

"Who else?"

* * *

_Professor Snape and Hermione,  
I have some time I can take to come see you. Is three days time alright?  
~ Charlie  
P.S. Is the estate hooked up to the Floo network?_

* * *

_Charlie,  
Friday is fine. The estate is fine for Flooing. It's been temporarily hooked up to the extended network for the week. Please bring pictures of everyone.  
Love,  
Hermione_

* * *

_Hermione,  
We received owls from Charlie, but decided it best to put Colin in charge of sending you pictures. Have you ever seen Charlie try to organize anything?  
Hope you're all right.  
~ Ron_

* * *

_Ron,  
Yes, I have seen Charlie try to organize. I was there last Christmas, remember? Don't know what I was thinking. Colin was a great idea.  
I miss all of you terribly. Maybe you can visit.  
Love,  
Hermione_

* * *

_Hermione,  
I'd love to come, but Harry would want to come too and it's just not safe for him there. Mum would kill me. Ginny would also like to come, but mum won't hear of that either.  
Sorry,  
Ron_

* * *

Hermione crumpled the last parchment in her fist and scowled.

Mrs. Weasley was right. It was very inconvenient sometimes. There was no sense of putting them all in one place when they were all being potentially hunted.

Hermione saw the firelight flicker green out of the corner of her eye and she looked over to see Charlie Weasley walk through the fireplace in the ballroom.

"Oh my God," said Charlie, looking around at the opulent room.

The muscular, stocky wizard looked out of place in the huge room. His red hair was in desperate need of a haircut and his clothing was worn. He pulled a battered leather trunk in behind him. A bandage was wrapped around his left hand.

"Charlie!" said Hermione, flinging herself at him.

"Hi, Hermione," said Charlie as he smiled and caught her. "It's good to see you well."

"Severus is out," said Hermione apologetically. "He should get back soon. I was hoping he'd get back before you got here."

"I'm sure he'll be along," said Charlie, grinning as he looked at the cozy chairs and tea service Hermione had moved into the large empty room. "He can't stay away forever."

"You must be starving," said Hermione, suddenly realizing how much Charlie looked like Ron when he was hungry and her chest ached a little for the familiarity that came with being surrounded by friends. "I figured we'd have some nibbles while we waited for Severus but you look like you need something more than this."

"A little," admitted Charlie. "But I'll wait for dinner."

"But dinner is a few hours away." Hermione lifted a small silver domed cover from the top of a plate and a small pink cake lay on a plate of delicate porcelain. Hermione cut him a small piece of cake and poured him some tea.

"I'll be fine," Charlie waved her concerns off as he poured cream into his tea and hungrily eyed the piece of cake she had cut for him.

They had just gotten settled when the flames in the fireplace went green again.

"Hello, Charlie," said Severus in a cold, cordial voice as he stepped into the room. "How is your mother?"

"Fine," said Charlie, trying to swallow the bite of cake he had just bitten into before he rose and shook Severus' hand.

"What happened to your hand?" Severus asked sharply. "Did you have trouble on the way?"

"Hatchling got a little frisky," Charlie muttered sheepishly.

"You weren't wearing gloves?" Severus frowned.

"Sometimes it's just not personal with the little ones," Charlie said, trying to look innocent.

"You're as bad as Hagrid," said Severus, shaking his head. "And I'm guessing you're starving."

"Err-," said Charlie, really looking like Ron now.

"Get into the kitchens and get a real meal," Severus commanded fiercely. "Your mother would be furious with me."

"I'm nearly thirty," said Charlie, weakly defiant.

"All the more you should know better," said Severus sternly. He swung around to face Hermione. "And I'm guessing that cake and tea is your idea of lunch?"

"Err-" Hermione stammered.

"Get a sandwich, both of you," Severus snapped. "Then we'll begin going over the paperwork."

"Then get in a bit of fishing before bed?" Charlie asked hopefully.

"Perhaps," said Severus, trying and failing to sound disinterested. "I suppose we could carpet to the lake and get in a couple of hours."

"In the dark?" Hermione asked in a confused voice.

"Not this time of year," Charlie said. "Haven't you noticed? Aren't there any windows here?" He looked around.

"The rooms that have windows are enchanted," explained Severus. "All the light changes bother my mother."

Hermione blinked in realization. The days must be almost completely light. She had forgotten completely.

"Can we lift the enchantments?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"As long as we put them back before we leave," Severus said, frowning. "I thought it would bother you so I didn't alter them."

"Round the clock daylight would be ideal," said Hermione. "I have shutters on my windows."

"I'll have it seen to," said Severus. "Now go eat. We'll be dining with Pieter and Anna tonight. If you're starving, he'll accuse me of neglecting you."

"Fine," said Hermione, sighing.

"I think he's secretly taking lessons from my mum," Charlie said conspiratorially as he fell into step beside Hermione on the way to the kitchen. "At least he's making an effort to be tolerable to you."

_'You have no idea,'_ thought Hermione.

* * *

"So, Charles, you are a friend of Hermione's family?" Anna asked during dinner.

They were sitting in the Snape dining room. Once again, Hermione had kicked her shoes off under the table so she could curl her toes in the cool grass. The enchanted ceiling was shades of dusky orange and blue.

"My father studies Muggle technology as a hobby," said Charlie, trying to distract himself from the pretty woman with his herring salad. "Our families met when Hermione started going to Hogwarts. My mother wanted to make sure she was settling in well in her new household."

"I understand," said Anna seriously. "Your Marriage Law was quite a shock to us all. Poor Hermione is lucky to have gotten a man like our kind Severus. It could have been very unpleasant for her."

Charlie choked on his salad and Hermione pounded him on the back.

Severus tried to stare down Charlie. He may have succeeded if Charlie's eyes had not been full of tears.

"Do be careful," said Anna, laying a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "I think the house-elves may have missed a bone or two."

"It's wonderful," said Charlie, regaining his composure. "I swallowed the wrong way."

He sipped his water and glanced at Severus. He imagined Severus thought himself fierce looking, but he was still slightly pink from Anna's compliment. Charlie snickered into his water.

"How long will you be staying?" Pieter asked as he reached for a plate of chicken kiev.

"Probably just the weekend," admitted Charlie. "The little ones will have a fit if I'm gone for too long."

"Do you have many children?" asked Anna.

"In a way," said Charlie, grinning.

"Charles works at the Romanian Dragon Preserve," said Severus.

"I would like a dragon, please," said Misha politely.

"If you study hard and learn about them, maybe one day you can take care of them as well," said Charlie seriously.

"Father, can I have a book on dragons?" asked Misha in careful English.

"I believe there might already be a few in the library," said Pieter. "You may look after dinner." Pieter turned to Charlie with interest. "Very interesting career path for someone who originated in a country where dragon breeding is illegal."

"England is just too small," said Charlie. "One out of control dragon and it's pandemonium. Romania is more practical."

"I have to agree with you," said Pieter as he burped and reached for another buttered roll. "But it must have been difficult for you to study something you have never seen."

"I did my book work at Hogwarts," said Charlie defensively. "Professor Kettleburn oversaw my training personally. I spent the summer between my sixth and seventh years in Romania on a student intern program."

"I have heard of the internship program," said Pieter, raising his eyebrows and reaching for his goblet of wine. "It is very difficult to get into."

"Is it?" Charlie frowned. "The professor entered for me. I didn't know until two days before end-of-term I was going."

"You must have been an exceptional student," said Anna, beaming at him.

My mother says you are always good at what you love," said Charlie, shrugging. "I think I just got lucky."

"I want to be lucky, like you," said Misha, who had been whispering in Russian to his sisters. They were staring at Charlie's bandaged hand in wide-eyed awe.

"Mne khotelos' bi drakona na moi den' rojdenia," Nadia piped up.

"What?" Hermione whispered to Anna as Pieter seemed to be gently telling the little one no.

"She would like a dragon for her birthday," said Anna. "They saw the fire dancers last Christmas, and she thinks she has found her profession."

"Hermione's never seen fire dancers," said Severus, reaching for the chicken. "Is there a performance scheduled anytime soon?"

"Sadly, no," said Anna shaking her head. "Usually in the winter."

Nadia began speaking in rapid Russian to Charlie who looked at Hermione for help.

"I'm lost," said Hermione softly.

"She's trying to negotiate for 'just a little one,'" said Pieter. "I see politics in the future for this one." He raised a single eyebrow at her and she fell silent, but continued to beam at Charlie.

"I might be in trouble," Charlie said under his breath.

* * *

Pieter, Charlie, and the three children sang off-key opera loudly as Severus poured Hermione a cup of tea in his father's study. It was a comfortable room done in brown leather and dark wood.

"I wouldn't be so bad if they all sang the same song," Hermione said to Anna, who was beginning to look annoyed.

Severus crossed his eyes in pain at a particularly high note, and Hermione and Anna giggled.

"What is all this jesting?" asked Pieter, staggering over to them, a glass of vodka sloshing around in his hand. "Does our entertaining amuse you?"

"Entertaining," mused Anna. "Was that what it was? I suspected you had eaten too much for dinner and had made yourselves sick."

"Such wonderful cooking, I could never tire of," said Pieter.

"You-," began Anna. Then she winced and placed a hand on her stomach.

Severus put his tea cup down and looked at her. Pieter placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Niet," said Anna trying to brush away Pieter's hand.

"Brat rojdaetsia," Nadia said, grabbing Tatiana's hands and trying to make her dance.

"Niet," said Tatiana, going back to the wooden dragon in front of her.

"Da," Anna said to Tatiana, who looked up from her dragon.

"Da?" asked Tatiana, who toddled over to Anna. She placed her small hand on Anna's stomach and said, "Ooh!" in a surprised little voice.

Then she went back to Nadia and joined the victory dance. "Brat!" Tatiana sang.

"Well, the girls seem to think it's a boy," said Pieter, smiling. "I believe it is time for us to go."

Pieter barked something in Russian to the children, and they all began to quickly gather their things.

Anna got to her feet and placed her hand on her husband's arm.

"I think we will have to continue this later," said Charlie, raising his glass in Anna's direction.

"I believe so," Anna said, smiling weakly at him. "Dinner tomorrow?"

"We'll bring it to your house," said Hermione quickly.

"Make some of those Cornish Pasties," said Pieter, looking over his shoulder as he escorted Anna to the fireplace, the children following behind. "I haven't had them since I was a child."

"Will do," said Charlie.

* * *

Hermione and Charlie worked in the kitchen all the next day making a simple dinner that could be put into the oven and cooked at the Titov's.

"Cherv will do that for you!" The little elf wailed helplessly, standing on a chair as Hermione and Charlie swept through the kitchen mixing food and tending things on the stove.

"Its fine, Cherv," said Hermione as she stirred a bowl of pastie filling. "We like cooking."

"You can go tidy up the garden outside," suggested Charlie as he dumped a bowl of dough onto the floured table and started kneading it. "The roses could be tidied up a bit."

"My job is kitchen," insisted Cherv grumpily. "Zemlyaa prunes the garden. She would be angry if Cherv just did it on his own."

"How many elves live here?" Hermione asked, wondering where they all were.

"I think about twenty. I do not know for certain." Cherv paused and then brightened. "Should I go suggest Zemlyaa prune the roses and Cherv help her?"

"That might be a good idea," said Charlie as he picked the dough up and slapped it back down.

Cherv hopped happily to the floor and padded out of the room.

"You might end up with more elves, that keeps up," said Charlie nodding at the retreating elf.

"They're technically all free elves," said Hermione. "They can do as they please."

"Maybe one of their offspring might want to live with Mum," said Charlie thoughtfully. "She'd really like it."

"She'd have to give them fair pay," said Hermione defensively.

"Room, board, and food _is_ fair trade," said Charlie.

"That is _not_ fair!" she exclaimed. "That's indentured servitude!"

"Trade is not the same as indentured servitude," said Severus, walking in through the fireplace, his arms laden with packages from the market. "Although I would hardly call that offer fair."

Hermione and Charlie both looked at Severus, annoyed.

"What?" he asked, setting the packages down on the large wooden table. "It's true."

"Did you remember the potatoes?" Hermione asked impatiently as she reached for the parcels.

"Yes, I remembered the potatoes." Severus snorted as he unpacked his load.

"Privet." A sleepy sounding voice called out in Russian from the small fireplace.

Hermione turned and saw a weary looking Pieter entering the kitchen. She was thankful they hadn't decided to use the small fireplace for spare cauldron room.

"Hello, Pieter," said Hermione. "How is Anna?"

"She fine and is sleeping with young Boris," Pieter said, smiling wearily. "I just awoke myself."

"Congratulations," said Charlie, his hands deep in a bowl of dough.

"Thank you," said Pieter. "Although, I admit I did not do much. She is incredible."

Severus smiled softly at his cousin. For the obnoxious git he was most of the time, Hermione had to admit, he certainly did love his family.

"I'll give you a potion for her," said Severus. "I thought she might need it."

"I thought you might," said Pieter. "I expect she will wake within the hour."  
Severus left the room and Pieter turned to Hermione.

"He is a good man," said Pieter. "A little emotional, but a good man."

Charlie snorted.

Pieter ignored him.

Hermione was a little surprised, but acted normally as Severus returned to the room with a red ceramic bottle with a black stopper.

"Give her a drink of this every four hours," said Severus handing it to Pieter.

"How much?" Pieter asked, tucking it into his robes.

"Depends on how much she thinks she needs," said Severus with an arched eyebrow. "Too much and she might get a little silly, but it won't harm her."

"Maybe I should save some for when she's feeling better," said Pieter lecherously.

"I don't think either of you need any help," said Severus dismissively. "Go home."

"Poka," said Pieter tossing a handful of Floo powder into the small fireplace. He stepped into the flames as he waved goodbye to them.

"You just happened to have a post-pregnancy draught?" asked Charlie conversationally. "That takes a bit of involvement to make."

"Especially a third level one," said Severus, waving his wand at the potatoes. They zipped out of their jackets and began falling into small chunks into a large bowl. Carrots went in after them.

"Wow," said Charlie, impressed.

Hermione was impressed as well. That was a difficult potion to brew, and most of the ingredients for the higher level potions tended to be very pricey.

He _was_ a good man, she finally admitted to herself.

"Are you done with the translation?" Severus asked Charlie.

"Very nearly," said Charlie awkwardly. "The part at the bottom gets kind of vague."

"Typical of the Brotherhood," muttered Severus. "Just do the best you can."

"I don't know if I can do it by the end of the weekend," Charlie admitted.

"Can you stay longer?" asked Hermione.

"The new interns arrive on Monday," said Charlie thoughtfully. "So the babies will get plenty of attention. I think I can get Master Gavin to do their training for me. He owes me a favor."

"Does this mean you can stay longer?" asked Severus, peering into a small bowl of marinating meat.

"I believe so," said Charlie. "At least until I figure out that last bit."

"Excellent," said Hermione. "I'm sure we wouldn't be able to do it without you."


	13. The Forgotten Prophecy

_When the mark of thunder shines upon one  
And Darkness retreats into the night to rest  
The midnight sun shines bright in the sky  
One with fathers taken twice shall rise into the light  
Plunging darkness into he will fall  
Within him power will grow  
Two paths here are laid  
Light and Dark will be inside  
Cleaving one into two  
The answer lies with the givers of life  
To show the path  
Under the sea_

"I think you need to go talk to the Amazons."

* * *

A tall, muscular witch with long red hair stepped through the fireplace in the Snape ballroom. She wore thick gray over-robes that were belted at the waist and a thin gold circlet across her brow.

Her eyes fixed on Hermione and she smiled cordially. "You must be Madam Hermione Snape."

Hermione was relieved the Amazonian witch was fluent in English.

As per instruction, Hermione had been waiting for the Amazonian representative alone, although Severus had insisted in waiting in the next room over in case of trouble.

"Yes," said Hermione, inclining her head.

Hermione had been told not to touch anyone and had to fight back the urge to attempt to shake hands. Pieter had insisted Amazons possessed strange magical protection items and that Hermione should exercise extreme caution.

"I hope these arrangements didn't prove to be too much trouble," she said apologetically.

"It was an amusing project to work on," said the witch in an odd accent. She bowed slightly and had a distinctly amused look on her face. Her thick grey over-robes parted slightly, and Hermione saw she was wearing light blue robes cut like a toga underneath. "I am Alexandra. It is my honor to act as ambassador for the Amazons."

"It's a pleasure," Hermione said.

Alexandra reached into her robes and pulled out a rubber duck. She held it out to Hermione.

Hermione smiled as she placed her hand on the Portkey and with a _'pop'_ they were gone.

They reappeared on a small, stable sheet of ice floating in the ocean. The position of the sun told Hermione they were several time zones away.

Icebergs and smaller chunks of ice slowly passed by as the sheet of ice seemed to drift in a specific direction. As they rounded a huge iceberg, Hermione breathed in sharply.

A tower of ice rose thousands of meters out of the water and into the clear sky. Small slitted windows fitted with tinted clear ice were set into the smooth material.

A gigantic decorative drawbridge of thick ice began to descend as Hermione and Alexandra grew closer. Frosted ice links formed into chains that slowly lowered the nearly football field sized bridge.

When it finally stopped lowering itself, the tip of the drawbridge barely made a splash in the water. Hermione and Alexandra began walking up the incline of the drawbridge into the _Bibliothecha oo Amazon_.

At the top of the drawbridge, a giant set of wooden doors greeted them. Hermione was relieved to see a smaller door in one of the larger ones for people to easily come and go.

Alexandra pressed a delicate white hand that was wearing a pretty blue ring to a panel on the door and murmured a word.

Purple lightning flashed for a moment across the ancient wood doors, and there was a loud grinding sound before there was a small click and she pushed the door open.

The entire first floor was one immense white room with the ceiling over a hundred feet above the women milling about in it. Slitted windows of clear ice let in sunlight that reflected off the walls and illuminated the room. White staircases spiraled up support poles, accented with gold wrought hand rails of ivy. There were a few small blue carpets with railings around them, but what they were for, Hermione didn't know.

Fireplaces lined the walls and witches in different light colored toga-style robes popped in and out with a burst of amber flame. Hermione wondered if they were hooked up to a secure Floo Network, hence the amber flames instead of the green she was used to.

Enchanted doves carved out of ice flew about with parchments and scrolls, seeking out different women.

"This is incredible," Hermione breathed.

"A lot of thought went into it," Alexandra said proudly. "It holds some of the most valuable and rare books in the world."

"I'm hoping you'll be able to help us with our dilemma," Hermione admitted.

"If we can't, I'm not sure who will be able to," Alexandra said. She made a face like she had just smelled something foul. "No doubt you have already asked the Brotherhood for help."

"They helped us with part of our problem, but another has come up," said Hermione as Alexandra stepped onto one of the spiraling staircases. Hermione was relieved to see the stairs moving of their own accord. "Our answer was rather cryptic."

"All things of true importance are," said Alexandra sympathetically. "Hopefully my mother will be able to help you."

As they traveled upwards, Hermione noticed that it was cool, but not cold in the tower of ice. The walls must be enchanted to prevent them from melting and to prevent the occupants from freezing. She watched as they passed several unmarked identical landings. She wondered how often women got lost.

Alexandra stepped off the winding staircase at a landing, and Hermione followed Alexandra down a stark, white hallway until they arrived at a door made of ice with the head of an eagle etched into it.

The door slid upwards after Alexandra laid a hand on it, and Hermione was shocked at the interior of the room.

No windows decorated the walls of the small room. Dark wood paneling lined the walls and only a few candles burned for light. A few dark colored, comfortable looking chairs crowded the room and a tiny, elderly witch who was hunched over a parchment, scribbling furiously and sitting behind a large oak desk. Piles of books were everywhere.

"Hello." She smiled as Alexandra and Hermione wound their way around the chairs and stacks of books. Her small wrinkled face beamed at them, and her white hair was pulled behind her in a thick braid.

"This is the girl, mother," said Alexandra, bobbing slightly.

"I am Sophia," said the older witch to Hermione with, surprisingly, a hint of Scottish brogue in her voice. "And you have a problem."

"Yes, I do," said Hermione, reaching into an inside pocket of her robes. She brought out Charlie's translation.

"You do not have the original?" Sophia asked, taking the translation.

"No," said Hermione. "I was just given this to give to you."

Alexandra snorted.

"Have you seen the original?" asked Sophia, pointedly ignoring her daughter.

"Yes, I have," said Hermione.

"Get the Pensive, Alexandra," said Sophia. "And a bit of tea, dear. Thank you."

Sophia waited until she Alexandra was busying herself with a small tea service in the corner before turning to Hermione again. "You had to find a translator?"

"Yes," said Hermione. She hoped she wasn't going to be chastised.

Sophia rose and walked out from around her table, leaning on a thin knobby cane. Her toga-robes were dark grey and tied with a pewter cord with gold tassels.

"Why didn't the Brotherhood have a translation?" asked Sophia. "They've had it in their possession for some time."

"I don't know," said Hermione, wondering why she hadn't thought of that before.

"Probably because they didn't know what it was until recently," snorted Sophia. "Damn knowledge hoarders. Don't even know half of what they have. Only look for the prophecy after trouble's already started. Bunch of buffoons."

"Here's the Pensive," said Alexandra, setting a wide stone bowl on Sophia's desk that Hermione had seen her take off a shelf near the tea service.

"Have you ever used one of these before?" Sophia asked.

"Yes," said Hermione, taking her wand out and placing the tip to her temple. She pulled a smoke-like thought about the parchment from her head and placed it carefully in the bowl.

Sophia put her face in the bowl. Hermione watched as Alexandra waved her hand and shrank some of the books and furniture so there was room for them to sit and drink their tea.

Hermione blinked. Was it the ring? No one seemed to have wands here.

Sophia pulled her head out of the bowl and smiled at her daughter. "I do need to tidy up a bit, don't I?" She cackled merrily as she tottered over to a large green chair.

Hermione placed her thought back into her head and sat in a purple chair near a small table.

Sophia waved her hand and a plate of biscuits appeared. "Your translator was good. One of the Brothers?"

"Friend of the family," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Convenient," said Sophia, nodding as she took a cup and dipped a biscuit in it.

"So what do you need to know?" asked Sophia. She leveled a look at Hermione.

"Well, it's obviously about Harry Potter," Hermione said hesitantly. "I would think the mark of thunder would mean his scar. And his father and godfather were both taken from him."

Sophia nodded.

"What else?" the elder Amazon asked.

"It sounds as if Harry's going to have a struggle between dark and light within him," said Hermione uncomfortably. "Are they suggesting Harry's going to be tempted to join Voldemort, because if they are -"

"We don't know anything," interrupted Sophia. "Continue."

"Then it says the givers of life will show the path to under the sea," said Hermione. "That's where it confuses us."

"Such things are never conveniently clear." Sophia nodded as she poured herself another cup of tea and waved off Alexandra when she tried to help her. "Perhaps it is not meant to be clear to you yet."

Hermione frowned.

"But what if it's important and I don't see it?" Hermione worried aloud.

"Then you are not the only person who did not see it," said Sophia. "We will be here for whatever you need."

"You are very gracious," said Hermione, recognizing a dismissal when she heard one. "Thank you."

"We'll be in touch with you," Sophia said as Hermione rose to leave. "We'd like to stay informed of events."

"Absolutely," Hermione said, relieved. She hadn't blown it. "We'll be waiting for your communication."

* * *

Hermione walked into her kitchen a little after noon and was greeted by the sight of Severus and Charlie eating piroshkis.

"How did it go?" asked Charlie, handing her a pastry.

Severus' eyes seemed to bore into her.

"They're staying in touch," said Hermione. "They want to stay informed."

"Are you serious?" asked Charlie, his jaw dropped.

"Why? Is this bad?" Hermione worried.

"On the contrary," said Severus. "It is exceptionally good news. Cherv!"

The little house elf scuttled around the corner and into the kitchen at Severus' command.

"A bottle of wine," barked Severus. "We have celebrating to do."

"Yes, master," said Cherv happily.

Hermione threw a look at Severus, which he ignored.

Cherv zipped away and returned shortly with an opened bottle of wine and three glasses on a silver tray.

Hermione, Charlie and Severus toasted Hermione's good fortune, although she still wasn't sure what they were so happy about.

"How did it go with the translation?" said Charlie.

"She said it was dead on," said Hermione. "And if we don't see it maybe we aren't meant to yet."

"Typical," spat Severus. He muttered to himself as he took a deep drink from his glass.

"Maybe when they owl me, they'll be further along," said Hermione.

"When they owl _you?" _Severus asked sharply. "Not when they contact the Order, but when they'll owl _you?_

"Sophia said they'd owl _me,"_ said Hermione hotly. "I'm their contact. It makes sense."

"You're born an Amazon, Hermione. They don't recruit," Charlie said suspiciously with a sidelong look to Severus. "They normally don't even talk to outsiders."

"Then why me?" Hermione squeaked.

"That's a very good question," said Severus. His face darkened for a moment. "One would think they'd go to Dumbledore. Stay on your toes."

"I will," promised Hermione. "Maybe they're interested in me because I'm so close to Harry."

"That would make perfect sense." Charlie folded his arms. "But I'm not sure it's good news."

"Be careful when dealing with them," Severus cautioned. "We don't know what to expect with them."

* * *

"Are you sure, Mother? All the way to Atlantis? No one's had contact with them for centuries."

"It will be a most difficult journey," admitted Sophia. "And it will be an important story. If we can get the girl interested in us now, we can get the chronicle firsthand."

"Does she have any idea what is going to happen to her friend?" Alexandra asked.

"No," said Sophia sadly. "It is best she not know. Her anger will fuel her determination when she finds out."

"It must be a burden to see prophecies so clearly," said Alexandra, feeling a bit sorry for her mother.

"Perhaps," said Sophia shrugging. "But I have never known any other way."

Sophia padded out of her office, her silk slippers making a soft noise on the floor as she walked to the moving staircase and rode it up to the library.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"I think we should go out for dinner," said Severus suddenly. "I don't feel like staying in. Do you like the ballet?"

They had been looking through his father's library for anything pertaining to the prophecy, a dull, dreary task that had taken up most of the day.

"Dinner would be nice," said Hermione hesitantly. "I've seen ballet on the telly, but I've never been."

"Well then, it will be something new," said Severus. "It's a new type of experimental theater. Opera and ballet on the same stage! Be prepared to leave at seven o'clock."

"I will," said Hermione. Part of her felt confident. Another part of her worried what to wear.

* * *

The house elf, Sloozhanka, buttoned the back of Hermione's new red velvet dress robes.

Hermione felt the last hook clasp behind her neck as she sat on the small stool in front of the vanity in her room at the Snape estate.

"I'm really sorry for the inconvenience," Hermione apologized to the little elf.

"No need for sorry," said Sloozhanka in a thick Russian accent. "Is a pleasure to help madam prepare for ballet."

Sloozhanka was one of the elves that actually wore the Snape uniform. It was a scaled down version of typical wizards robes with a different color corresponding to each section of the household. Sloozhankas were blue because she was considered household staff.

The small elf waved a wand over Hermione's head, and Hermione watched as her frizzy curls tamed down to ringlets, and the elf clipped her hair into place with a bronze barrette inlaid with red gems. Hermione was pleased to know, at least here, elves were allowed restricted use of wands, because they were considered tools.

"Madame has such pretty hair," Sloozhanka pouted as she rearranged the curls into a more natural looking cascade.

"When it behaves itself," said Hermione sarcastically. "Which is rarely."

"I could do madam's everyday," the elf said, giving Hermione's hair a final pat.

"I don't think that's necessary," said Hermione reluctantly. "I keep odd hours and it would be too much trouble."

"If you decide otherwise, pull the silver tassel near the bed," said Sloozhanka. "You can summon me that way."

She hopped off the wooden footstool she was standing on. "I think madam is ready."

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. Her deep red robes were high necked. Small beaded flowers in black crystal decorated the front. Her hair was pulled behind her head, but it fell free, long curls snaking their way over her shoulders.

"Thank you," said Hermione, and the elf bowed out of the room. At least some of the elves weren't afraid to be freed, although the bowing would have to go.

Severus popped his head into her rooms, and Hermione turned to face him.

Her skin glowed golden in the amber shaded hurricane lamps. The rubies in her hair glittered in the flickering light, and the heavy robes slid across the stone floor in a perfect swishing motion. Severus felt his chest tighten.

Severus felt his body stop as she turned, one perfect moment etched forever in his mind. He felt as if ice had caught flame in his veins.

She could never, would never, be his.

Hermione looked at Severus.

His hair was once again tied back, this time with a burgundy ribbon that matched her dress. His layered silk black robes were short in front, showing his black silk trousers, leather boots, and white frilled shirt. The rest of his robes trailed behind him. He had a strange look on his face and she felt her knees go weak.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly and Hermione began to giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You need a three pointed hat and an eye patch," Hermione giggled.

"Arrr," Severus indulged himself. "Jewels for milady?" He opened a wooden box, and a pair of ruby earrings matching her dress lay inside on a pillow of purple satin.

"Wow," Hermione whispered. She looked at Severus.

"They're Mother's. You should put them on. She'd want you to wear them," said Severus as he tried to hurry her along. "We need to get going."

Hermione fastened the rubies to her ears and Severus helped her into a black fur cloak.

"I doubt it will be chilly," said Hermione. "I'm already dressed too warmly for summer, especially with the sun out all the time."

"The theatre will be cooled so people will be comfortable in more formal attire," Severus explained.

He offered her his arm, and they walked down to the ballroom so they could Floo to the theatre.

Charlie whistled at them as they passed by the door to the den.

Hermione paused and looked in the door at him. He was reading a book with one leg flung over the arm of a red chair. His t-shirt, bare feet and jeans with a hole in one knee was a drastic opposite to Hermione and Severus.

"What are you going to see?" asked Charlie.

"Faust," said Severus.

Charlie bit his bottom lip and tried to look innocent.

"I hear it's lovely," Charlie said, sneaking a look at Hermione. She hadn't the faintest idea what it was about.

"It happened to be what was playing," snarled Severus.

Hermione looked at him oddly, but was afraid to ask. She'd find out soon enough.

At the show, Hermione watched the tragedy unfold as a decent man fell to darkness and embraced depravity. She watched Faust kill his potion-seduced love's brother because he threatened to keep them apart. When he ran to Walpurgis Night, she grinned at the prancing mythical creatures. When Hermione saw his love, her belly full of child, on trial for his crimes, she scowled. When death came in the end, his love followed the light and he fell to the abyss.

Hermione felt Severus slip a handkerchief in her hand as she tried not to cry. She sniffled as she took it and dabbed at the tears leaking from her eyes.

Severus tried not to smirk. She was moved by the piece. He hoped she would enjoy dinner.

Perhaps he was just getting his hopes up and he was becoming a stupid old man.

The food at the Wizarding restaurant was French, and small plates of food kept appearing in front of Hermione as she finished the few bites each course allowed her.

"How many courses are there?" asked Hermione. She watched warily as the wine in her glass refilled itself.

"I'm not sure," said Severus absently as he examined a tiny artichoke. "Fifteen?"

"Good Lord," Hermione said weakly.

* * *

Hermione and Severus stumbled across the dim ballroom floor drunkenly giggling, the only light was filtered in from the doorway to the dining room but there seemed to be a faint, soft glow from above.

"Shhh," warned Severus, stopping suddenly. "Gonna wake whatzizface."

"Charlie?" Hermione offered with another giggle.

"Tha's him," said Severus, raising his finger. He looked at it. He moved it back and fourth, watching it. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Hermione grabbed his finger and pushed his hand down. "Shhh!"

"That's what _I_ said," said Severus insistently.

Hermione looked down at her feet and watched the ripples her robes made.

"This floor is fantastic," she said as she shook her hips, making the ripples fan out.

"I used to dance in here as a child," admitted Severus, shuffling his feet and making the waves seem to rise a few inches. Hermione grinned at him.

"Your mother probably thought it was adorable," said Hermione.

"My mother _always_ thinks I'm adorable," said Severus as he grimaced. "The woman has a very loose grip on reality."

"I like your mother," said Hermione, making a face at him, watching him dance a little jig, causing the floor to wave into an 'S' pattern under him. "You must have had a lot of time on your hands."

"You'd be amazed," said Severus. "Tango!" he cried suddenly. He seized her hands and spun her around.

It probably would have helped if Hermione knew how to tango.

It also would have helped if her thick robes didn't have a train. Her legs were almost immediately bound together, and she stumbled into Severus, and they fell to the floor in a heap.

"Perhaps that wasn't the best idea," said Severus, now laying on his back, staring at the ceiling.

Hermione noticed it was inset with crystals in the shape of constellations.

Severus shook his head as he stared at the ceiling and the universe spun.

"Imagine that," said Hermione sarcastically, sitting up and rubbing her head.

Severus looked at her quizzically.

"You elbowed me." She scowled.

"In the head?" asked Severus incredulously, still lying on the ballroom floor. "How did I do that?"

"Damned if I know," said Hermione, laying beside him and staring at the ceiling. "Wow, that's pretty."

"My grandpapa enchanted it to glow. Before that it was just stone in the ceiling," said Severus. He sighed. Then he raised himself on one elbow and kissed her. Then he lay back down beside her.

Hermione was stunned. She chanced a glance at him, but he seemed to still be examining the galaxy.

What on earth was that, and where had it come from? He must have had too much wine, she decided.

_Dear God, I consumed a lot of wine this evening,_ Severus thought to himself.

He lay back staring at the ceiling. Well she hadn't screamed. Perhaps she was still stunned. He was 23 years her senior, for crying out loud.

He would have to apologize for his inappropriate behavior tomorrow, but until then perhaps he could figure out how to kiss her again.

He started as her face appeared above his, blocking his view of the stars. Before he could begin apologizing, she pressed her lips to his.

Then she lay next to him and snuggled against his side.

She was beautiful, and either she had way too much wine or she actually fancied him.

His head swam. His groin tightened. She was a pretty girl, very smart, his parents liked her… this was madness.

If the marriage was consummated, he would never agree to divorce.

Hermione laid a hand on his chest. He had kissed her. She had worked up her nerve and kissed him. Now he was just laying there. Maybe he hadn't liked it when he kissed her and was repulsed now? She wondered whether she should remove her hand from his chest when he turned on his side and pressed his lips to hers once again.

She shyly reached a hand up and placed it on the side of his face. It was smooth from being freshly shaven, and he smelled like sandalwood. He drew a single finger down her jaw line. She shivered.

Their kisses deepened and Hermione fought off the urge to snake her hand below his waist to give him a squeeze.

"This is a very inappropriate place for this," whispered Severus hoarsely.

"Where should we go?" asked Hermione nervously. She was a little afraid of where this was going to lead. The morning he had spooned her, she had awoken aroused and ready for him; now that she had given it some thought, she was a little unsure.

What if he led her down to the dungeons? What if he hurt her?

Perhaps the wine was making her paranoid. She had spent enough time with him to know he had no intention of harming anyone without being provoked.

"Perhaps my room?" Severus thought his voice sounded a little high.

"Alright," she said softly, not seeming to notice.

She was glad it was dark so he couldn't see how red her face was.

He rose to his feet and held a hand out to her. She struggled to her feet under her voluminous robes and straightened skirts.

"You truly look beautiful," said Severus, looking down on her, and he meant it.

Hermione bowed her head slightly, and Severus imagined she was blushing prettily.

He leaned down to kiss her again and felt her arms encircle his waist. He tried to avoid pressing his erection into her.

She seemed to take this as a challenge and pressed into him. He opened his eyes and looked at her kissing him. He parted his lips a little and flicked at her lips with his tongue.

Her eyes flew open to see him looking at her. She snaked a hand down to his buttocks and deepened their kiss.

Severus groaned. He knew she was a virgin, but should have known better than to think she had never engaged in a few heavy petting sessions during her time at Hogwarts. At least she wasn't shy once she got going.

Hermione's mind went completely blank.

Her head was light from all the wine, her body felt like it was in overdrive, and Severus was obviously attracted to her. She heard him groan and she broke their kiss.

Severus saw her catch her breath and was surprised when she went for his collar and began kissing and nipping at his neck.

"Bedroom," he gasped out. It seemed God had finally forgiven him after all, and it was time for a bit of rewarding.

Severus saw in the low light of his bedroom that Hermione had flushed a most bewitching color of pink. Severus felt his mind catch fire.

It took him forever to undo the hundred little buttons up the back of her dress. He had felt too tipsy to wield his wand at her and had undone them by hand. He made a mental note to have his own clothing altered with snaps. Apparently the elves had felt the robes would not hang right without the proper undergarments, so Hermione was left in bloomers and a white sparse undershirt.

He undid the three buttons to his robes, and they slid heavily to the floor.

He leaned down to kiss her as she undid his trousers and they fell. He was wearing more old fashioned under things as well, his pants reaching halfway to his knees.

He broke their kiss and pulled his shirt over his head.

Severus reached out and took Hermione's hand. He kissed the back of it and led her to the bed.

"We don't have to go any further than you want to," he said gently as he slid between the sheets. He propped himself up on one elbow and turned on his side to face her as she got into the bed beside him.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Hermione as she pressed her lips to his. Her lips moved down the side of his face to his bare shoulder, and she squeezed his hip with her hand as she wrapped a leg around one of his.

"Perhaps this wasn't the best idea, after all" said Severus, instantly regretting the whole thing.

He couldn't control himself. She was young and sweet, and the wine was buzzing around his head. He had to leave.

"Why?" said Hermione, pulling back from him.

"I don't know if I'll be able to control myself," he said through clenched teeth.

"Do you promise?" she whispered in his ear and traced a trail down his back with her fingernails.

She blushed at her own words. The wine had made her bold.

He slid a hand under her undershirt and caressed one of her breasts.

"I would like to kiss you here," he said, his voice full of nervousness.

She nodded at him shyly and helped him take her undershirt off. She buried her fingers in his hair as he kissed and caressed her small breasts.

Severus felt Hermione wrap her legs around his waist. He even dared to place a hand on her bum, and he rubbed his mid-section against her.

"Take your pants off, Severus." Hermione groaned as he nibbled at her.

"Hermione-" Severus began.

"We're married, Severus," said Hermione with a sigh of… was that exasperation?

"If we do that, we have to stay married," Severus warned. Surely the girl would be dissuaded by that idea.

"Take your pants off, Severus," Hermione squirmed against him impatiently.

_Well, if it's was she wants…_

Severus pulled her bloomers down roughly, startling Hermione.

He dove under the covers, and Hermione felt her legs being pried apart and flung over his shoulders.

She hoped Charlie couldn't hear her cry of pleasure as Severus buried his face between her legs.

He penetrated her with his fingers, and she moaned his name. When she begged, pleaded with him, she felt him remove his mouth, and he stripped off his remaining clothing under the covers.

She felt him rise and lay on her. Something both rock hard and velvety soft nudging between her legs.

"Hermione, I need you," moaned Severus into her hair. He felt the beads of sweat forming in his brow as he fought his instinct to plunge into her. He felt himself slide around in her slippery wetness and felt the small dip where he wanted to plunge violently.

"Oh, God, Severus," Hermione burst out; eyes squeezed shut as he nudged her where she wanted him the most. _"Fuck me."_

He was taken over the edge by her obscenity and began pushing himself into her without regret. He tried not to hurt her as he entered her: he'd never had a virgin before and wasn't sure what he was doing.

Thankfully, she placed both her hands on his hips and directed him. Once he was entirely inside her, she began moving against him in a steady rhythm.

He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them wide. She was still there. This wasn't a dream. This sweet, intelligent, charming, beautiful, virginal woman was out of control and moaning on the end of his cock.

Something in him broke and he threw himself on top of her. Hermione started as he pressed his teeth into her shoulder firmly and began grinding himself into her in a circular pattern.

Hermione cried out, but Severus was delighted to hear her scream his name and felt her hands frantically running over his back and buttocks.

"My God, I want to make you come," growled Severus in her ear. Not knowing, not even caring where this new boldness came from.

"A little to the left," said Hermione through clenched teeth, before kissing him violently and bucking up to meet him.

Severus shifted slightly, and he heard Hermione begin a low roan underneath him. He moved faster.

Severus heard her cry out loudly and shudder. He slowed down, but kept moving inside her. "Did you come?" he asked her, nuzzling her neck.

"Yes," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Thank you."

"Good," he purred at her. He continued a steady rhythm on her, placing soft kisses on her shoulders. She purred soft nothings to him and scratched his back as he took his pleasure from her.

When he came, Severus collapsed on her, leaning his head to the side so he didn't smother her.

Did she even comprehend that their marriage had been consummated? Would she want to back out tomorrow?

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at Severus. She ran a finger over the little worry crease between his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"I'm wondering if you're going to regret this tomorrow," said Severus, truthfully. He was feeling much more sober now. Much older than he had felt just moments ago.

Hermione leaned over and kissed the end of his nose.

"I regretted not taking advantage of you the morning you tortured me," said Hermione, giggling and sinking under the covers.

"You little vixen, you were awake?" asked Severus, finally sliding out of her.

"How was I supposed to sleep through that?" asked Hermione, reaching for him and cuddling near to him as he lay back on the bed.

He felt his member twitch. It seemed someone had a mind to make up for lost time.

Severus turned her on her side and spooned her like he had that morning. Hermione was surprised to feel him ready again and pressing into her lower back. She snuggled back into him, and he inhaled the scent of her hair.

He felt her take him in hand, as it were, and felt her impale herself on him. She moved her hips in small circles and heard him groan as he let his breath out.

Severus felt himself slide into her easily and imagined she would probably be tremendously sore tomorrow. He would rise early and make her a healing potion.

Then he'd have the opportunity to begin acting out all his fantasies on her.

An image of Hermione on her knees in her Hogwarts uniform servicing his member swam before him, and he felt himself explode deep inside her, completely lost in his fantasy.

The second he regained himself, he felt guilty.

What a perverse thought. He had no idea where it came from and felt instantly embarrassed.

Suddenly the reality of what had happened dawned on him.

Severus looked down at his wife, withdrawing himself again, leaving the bed to get his wand before he performed a cleaning charm.

Hermione snuggled back against him and sighed contentedly. She took one of his arms and wrapped it around her. He relaxed against her form and felt his heart beat against her.

She really _was_ lovely.

Dumbledore was going to kill him.


	14. Secrets Revealed

When Hermione woke in the morning, she snuggled deeper under the covers.

It didn't take her long to remember she was in Severus' quarters. She quickly noticed she was alone.

_'Well, it wasn't a dream then,'_ Hermione thought groggily to herself. _'Wonder if he's off somewhere trying to forget.'_

Her question was answered when the door to the room opened and Severus tip-toed in. He was wearing his yellow bathrobe and carrying a small bottle made of blue glass.

"What's that?" Hermione asked curiously.

"A healing potion," he said, clearing his throat. "I thought I would be able to return before you stirred."

"Almost," said Hermione. "I just woke up. What is it for?"

"I assumed you might desire it," said Severus, looking a bit embarrassed. Hermione shifted her weight as she propped herself up on one elbow and winced slightly.

"I think you may be right," said Hermione, blushing.

Severus took his robe off, he had put his under things back on, and slipped in bed with her.

Hermione tightened the sheets around herself possessively.

He looked taken aback, but handed her the bottle.

Hermione took it from him slowly and felt a little guilty of sending him the wrong message, but she wasn't used to being nude in front of anyone.

She downed the contents of the small bottle and put it on the bedside table before reaching for his hand under the covers.

Her hand brushed his thigh in her search, and she felt him get more comfortable under the sheets. She lay down beside him, and she felt his hand encircle her bare waist.

_'Merlin's Beard, she looked beautiful when she blushed.'_

* * *

Hermione woke for the second time that day and noticed two trays of breakfast on the low table near the couch.

She also noticed Crookshanks purring at the foot of the bed.

"How did you get in here?" Hermione asked.

Crookshanks raised his head and yawned widely.

She turned to look at Severus sleeping on his side of the bed and reached out tentatively for her under things. She prayed he wouldn't wake while she was looking for her undershirt and bloomers.

Thankfully, he didn't wake until she was reaching for one of the trays. He groaned loudly and sunk deeper under the covers.

Severus suddenly wished he had thought to make himself a healing potion.

She certainly was bewitching, but to think he could perform like a twenty year old with no consequences was insane. He hadn't been this sore in years.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as she approached the bed with a tray for him.

"I think I may have over done it," said Severus, wincing as he sat up.

"Would you like a potion?" Hermione asked, a worried look passing over her face.

"I only made one spare," said Severus as he shook his head. "The rest are for Anna."

"I _did_ take healing classes my seventh year," Hermione said in an annoyed tone. "I can brew a simple healing potion."

"Third basement down. Take a right at the wine cellar," said Severus with a chuckle.

"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, somewhat taken aback.

"My laboratory," said Severus.

"Why is it all the way down there?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I was a sullen teenager," Severus said dryly. "I liked to be left alone."

"Who would have ever thought?" Hermione remarked sarcastically.

Hermione wolfed her breakfast down quickly and then looked down at herself. "I should put normal clothing on."

"I'm sure the elves wouldn't comment, if you happen to see one," Severus said suggestively.

"It will be cold in the basement," reasoned Hermione.

"Take my robe," said Severus, motioning to the pale yellow robe that was now draped over the back of his couch.

"You just don't want me to put clothing on!" Hermione accused, her cheeks flushing.

"Your under things do cover quite a lot," remarked Severus. "But I would like you to walk around half-naked, yes."

He tried to cover his smirk by sipping his tea, but Hermione saw it and scowled at him.

"I was talking about poor Charlie," said Hermione exasperatedly.

"Good point," said Severus. "You should handle that as you see fit."

"What does that mean?" said Hermione, suddenly feeling nervous.

"If you want Mr. Weasley to know our union has been consummated, then let him know," said Severus in a voice that almost sounded unsure.

"Oh." Hermione swallowed.

Honestly, she assumed he would want to handle it professionally until the war was over. She knew very well that sometimes people said things they don't mean in the heat of the moment, and she assumed it had been the talk of a lonely man that had a bit to drink. The second round this morning had been nice, but unexpected.

She had planned to be logical about this, but it looked like she wasn't the only one that wanted more. She felt lighter, like a weight was lifted off her.

Severus set his tea cup down and placed the tray of unfinished breakfast on his night stand.

"Hermione," Severus began, reaching out and taking one of her hands in his. "Our marriage has been consummated. Several times over."

Hermione stared at the back of his hand. Small black hairs dotted the back of his knuckles. She stroked them absentmindedly. She was tremendously relieved.

"If you want to tell people, you may," said Severus, sounding nervous. He was afraid she was going to ask for a divorce immediately.

"I don't know," said Hermione. She scooted next to him and kissed him on the neck. "If it suits me."

"I think you'd better get that potion," said Severus, feeling his body respond enthusiastically.

She _did_ fancy him!

"I'll be back," said Hermione, kissing his cheek and hopping off the bed.

Severus lay his head back on the pillow and allowed his eyes to rest. He was married to a competent young witch that seemed to like him. It all seemed too good to be true.

Hermione returned about an hour later and handed Severus a glass tumbler with a gold liquid at the bottom. He downed it and smiled at her.

"Very good," he said. "I would not have thought of using lemon to cut the aftertaste. What are you wearing?"

Hermione looked down at herself. She had changed into Muggle jeans, a blue cardigan and a white t-shirt. Her low sneakers were poking out of the bottoms of her jeans.

"I didn't know I was required to look like a cover girl," Hermione said haughtily. "This was sensible for potions brewing."

"Indeed," said Severus, swinging his feet out of bed and stretching. He stood and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Well, it's lovely."

While certain pure-blood wizards and witches would sneer at her clothing as being unfeminine, Severus couldn't help but appreciate the view from behind.

Especially when she bent over to scratch Crookshanks behind his ears.

"Your supplies need to be restocked," said Hermione over her shoulder. Severus shook his head as he pressed on a panel on his wall. It swung open and Hermione saw a sparse bathroom.

"Figures," said Severus, standing in front of the toilet.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Apparently this married thing came with some unexpected surprises as well. Well, he certainly wasn't shy.

When Severus was done, he started the shower that was tucked into one corner.

"Mother has a habit of using up everything and never replacing anything. It was the only way she could get me to go out as a teenager." He sounded irritated. "She probably wanted to make sure I showed you around the city."

Hermione laughed.

"I'll go to the library and wait for you," said Hermione.

"And what are we doing today?" Severus asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"Restocking your supplies," said Hermione, leaving the room with a wave.

Severus shook his head and smiled to himself as he stepped into the warm steaming water. At least he had been saddled with a sensible girl.

* * *

"Maybe we should have brought an interpreter," remarked Hermione as they stepped out of a fireplace and she brushed a few stray ashes from her jacket. They had appeared in what looked like a pub.

"Severus!" a jolly voice called out. "Vodka?"

Hermione spied a short, stocky wizard behind the bar cleaning mugs with a clean red cloth.

"On you?" asked Severus, a corner of his mouth quirking.

"Of course," said the barkeep, slamming a shot glass on the counter and pouring clear liquid into it. "Is this your new bride?"

"Yes," said Severus, pulling Hermione closer. "Hermione, this is my cousin, Yuri."

The barkeep had dark blue eyes, thick, brown curly hair, and a wide toothy smile that reminded Hermione of Pieter.

"I'm beginning to think you're related to everyone," remarked Hermione.

"Sometimes it seems like that to us as well," said Yuri, pouring Hermione a little vodka in a glass and covering it with quite a lot of cranberry juice.

Hermione drank it and thanked Yuri when he handed her a piroshki in a paper pouch.

"Replenishing supplies?" Yuri asked.

"However did you guess?" Severus asked dryly.

"It's the only time you come into town," said Yuri, smiling. "Svetlana would like to see you while you're in the area."

"We'll try to stop by, then," said Severus, his smile looking slightly pained.

"Well," said Yuri. "I have drinks to serve and you have things to get. Send me an owl later."

"I'll do that," said Severus, seemingly relieved the conversation was over.

Hermione and Severus waved good-bye and walked out into Mageeya Topeek. The small, magical shopping area was crowded and bustling with Russian-speaking wizards.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked.

"Svetlana's mother was killed by the Dark Lord," said Severus uncomfortably. "She got in the way when he first appeared in the area and was terminated."

"So, Yuri's a widower?" asked Hermione abruptly, stopping before she banged into Severus in front of a store with an incomprehensible sign.

Severus nodded. He opened the door for her as she finished her piroshki, and she hastily shoved the greasy paper in her pocket.

"Yuri's mother has never quite forgiven me for becoming involved in the Dark Lord's plan," Severus said. "She thinks the killing of Svetlana's mother is God's punishment for evil in the bloodline. I think she petitioned to have me burned the last time I came to visit."

"I'm sorry," said Hermione, truly meaning it, wondering if they were in danger.

"Master Snape!" A high reedy voice called out.

To Hermione's surprise, it had an Irish lilt mixed in with the thick Russian.

"How good to see you've decided to visit us instead of going to France this year!"

Severus chuckled.

Hermione was surprised at his response. Although she was getting used to the likable Severus behind closed doors, she was surprised to see it in a public arena.

A tiny man hopped off the stool he was standing on behind the counter and ran over to shake Severus' hand. He barely came to Severus' waist, and his coarse, stiff amber hair stood out in all directions, although he had tried to force a green cap on top of it to keep in out of his face. He wore a tan shirt, blue vest, and brown pants in a fashion that reminded Hermione of the Renaissance.

However, he was also wearing Muggle basketball shoes in obviously a child's size, and a belt with silver studs on it.

Severus laughed out loud.

"You don't like them?" the small man asked, flashing his shoes at Hermione and smiling. "They're very comfortable."

"I bet they are," said Hermione, happy to see logic applied anywhere in the world of magic.

"Where did you get those?" Severus demanded.

"Traded for a silver cauldron," said the tiny man.

"You let a cauldron go for a pair of shoes?" Severus asked, aghast.

When Hermione told him how much money those shoes would go for in the Muggle world, he looked shocked.

"For a pair of _shoes!"_

"They're _very_ comfortable," smiled the little man. "I'm Brian," he said, holding out his hand to Hermione.

"Hello," said Hermione. "Hermione."

"Now, what are you looking for today?" the little man asked Severus, rubbing his hands together.

Hermione and Severus arrived back home with mounds of packages heaped in their arms.

Severus convinced Hermione to leave them in the ballroom for the elves to put away.

"They're really bored," Severus insisted. "It will give them something to do."

Hermione reluctantly agreed, and they went to say good-bye to Charlie. He would be returning to England to make a report to the Order.

Not to mention Molly was expecting him for dinner.

* * *

"But Madam, most elves are happy here. They do not want to be paid." Sloozhanka sighed as she braided Hermione's hair.

"Wouldn't you like a bit of money for your own?" Hermione asked insistently.

"We have no need for money," said Sloozhanka. "Our masters provide for us, and whatever we don't have we can conjure."

"Not all masters are as kind as yours are," Hermione pointed out.

"I agree," said Sloozhanka. "Cherv has a cousin that had a terrible family."

"I know his cousin," said Hermione. "And I agree, the Malfoys are horrible."

"Since Cherv's cousin has been freed and works for a wage, does that mean he can take time off as well?" asked Sloozhanka slyly.

"I suppose," said Hermione slowly. "The summer holidays are in full swing. I can't imagine he has a lot to do."

"Perhaps he could come for a holiday," said Sloozhanka firmly.

"That's kind of you, for never having met him," said Hermione suspiciously.

Sloozhanka tried to look nonchalant, but blushed slightly.

"Spill."

"What has spilled?" Sloozhanka, looking on the ground.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione, embarrassed. "It's a term for telling me what is on your mind." She had to get used to the idea that not everyone knew words that she found common place. She felt rather stupid.

"I hear Dobby comes from very good breeding stock," said Sloozhanka, trying to look innocent.

"Ah," said Hermione. She began to wonder what house-elf courtships involved. "He is a very good person. I know nothing of his parentage."

She wasn't sure she agreed with the joining of anyone for purposes of creating more efficient slaves at all, although if both parents were freed, the child would be born free, wouldn't they?

Suddenly, there was a scratching at Hermione's bedroom window. She looked up to see a small white beast waiting for her on her windowsill.

"What on earth is that?" Hermione exclaimed as Sloozhanka hopped off her stool to open the window.

"Snow dragon," said Sloozhanka. "Very rare. Someone interesting wants to communicate with you."

The elf struggled with the latch on the window for a moment before she pointed her wand at it and it opened easily.

"Could Dobby have a wand if he came to visit?" Hermione asked, suddenly getting an idea.

"Of course he could," said Sloozhanka as the little dragon leapt into the room and padded across the floor to Hermione on four feet.

He was the size of a bread box, and to Hermione's shock, covered in white downy feathers. His feet looked similar to large dog paws, and he walked like a canine although his face looked serpentine.

"You are a strange looking little guy," she said, reaching for the tube bound around his neck.

"Looked in the mirror lately?" said the dragon in a high, reedy voice as he looked at her half-braided hair critically. His large amber eyes blinked at her.

Hermione froze in shock. Not only did she encounter a creature she had never seen before, it was intelligent and she had perhaps offended it.

The dragon made a strange clicking sound, and by the way Hermione assessed his movements, she suspected he was laughing at her.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione. "I need to learn manners, it appears." She flushed a deep red.

"I suspect you have never seen one of my kind," said the dragon. "Your apology is accepted if you manage to fix my ear tuft." He swiped at his head with one of his legs, much like a cat trying to clean one of its ears.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, sliding to the floor and sitting near the small creature.

"It started itching somewhere near Stockholm," complained the dragon.

Sloozhanka frowned at the dragon and marched across the floor to it. She pointed her wand and said something in a mixture of Latin and Russian that Hermione didn't understand.

Hermione scooted back suddenly as a long, slender, electric blue worm was magically pulled from the dragon's ear tuft.

"What is that?" she squeaked, horrified.

"Parasite," said Sloozhanka. "Perhaps the master can make use of it in his laboratory."

The small elf left the room, and Hermione was left with the dragon that was shaking his head as if to rid itself of the feeling the parasite had given him.

"What a first impression," the dragon said. Hermione thought he sounded embarrassed.

"We're even now," said Hermione, reaching out to scratch the head of the dragon. She gently unbuckled the tube bound around his neck.

She wasn't surprised to see a sparkling blue envelope fall out.

_Hermione,  
Your home has been added to our transport network, so you can just use your fireplace to transport yourself to the Bibliotheque oo Amazon.  
We realize it is short notice, but we would like you to join us this afternoon around three, your time.  
Alexandra_

"Only slightly short notice," said Hermione sighing. "That's only a few hours away."

Severus walked into Hermione's bedroom and looked slightly taken aback at the dragon's presence.

"Hello, fellow," said Severus.

The dragon sniffed the air in the direction of Severus and padded over to him.

Severus sank to his knees and scratched the dragon's head gently.

"Which tuft did it come from?" said Severus.

"The right one," said the dragon. Severus carefully parted the fine, downy feathers and looked at the small puncture wound left by the parasite. He frowned.

"Do you need to return immediately?" Severus asked.

"Why?" The dragon looked suspicious.

"It looks as if it has laid a small cache of eggs," said Severus, sounding sorry for him. "They need to be removed carefully. If you need to return immediately, I suggest you go by Floo."

"I don't think I will be reprimanded if I do not return immediately, as long as the sisters know where I am," said the dragon.

"What was that thing?" Hermione asked.

"Parasites that leech magic," Severus said. "Very dangerous. I can remove them, but it will take some time."

"Well, I think that's a very good reason to stay put," said Hermione, a little repulsed. "Sounds frightening."

"They aren't deadly if you catch them early," said Severus. "I shall write a letter to the Amazons telling them where he is, unless you just want to tell them," he said, looking at the opened envelope.

"I'm sure that would be fine," said Hermione. She watched as Sloozhanka returned and led the little dragon out of the room, patting him supportively on his back. "I'm supposed to see them this afternoon."

"Excellent," said Severus. "I'm going to meet with Pieter. We can catch up at dinner."

"Perfect," said Hermione, relieved last minute plans were going smoothly.

* * *

Sophia looked at Hermione, her face full of concern.

"I wonder where he picked it up," Alexandra said nervously.

"He said somewhere near Stockholm," said Hermione.

Alexandra and Sophia exchanged quick glances as a soft knock sounded at the door.

They were once again sitting in Sophia's office, although it was much cleaner than the last time she had visited. A young witch that appeared to be Hermione's age brought in their tea. Her face looked similar to Alexandra's, although her hair was thick and golden blonde, cascading almost to the back of her knees. She smiled shyly at Hermione as she served them.

"This is my youngest daughter, Kari," said Sophia. "Her training will be completed at the end of the summer." Sophia beamed proudly.

"Congratulations," said Hermione. She began to wonder exactly how long training was or what it was comprised of. Kari seemed to be a bit older than Hermione.

"She's half a decade early," explained Alexandra proudly. "Our little prodigy."

"How long is training?" asked Hermione, surprised.

"Usually two decades," Sophia said. "Incredible, considering her parentage."

Hermione looked at the witches, not knowing what to say.

"We're not sure who my father is," said Kari. "Mother was assaulted."

"I'm sorry," said Hermione to both Sophia and Kari. She didn't quite know what to say.

"It was years ago, a few moments of time, and I daresay we all recovered," said Sophia, patting Kari on the arm as she poured Sophia's tea. "And I got a beautiful, brilliant daughter out of it."

Hermione got the impression Sophia had been repeating that to Kari since she was a child.

"How are Amazons usually born?" Hermione blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Well, a witch and wizard get together and do a kind of special hugging-," began Alexandra, her eyes twinkling as she reached for her tea. Kari burst out laughing.

"Naughty girls," Sophia admonished, half-heartedly. "You know precisely what she means."

"I suppose I set myself up for that one," said Hermione, looking chagrined while she reached for her tea and a biscuit.

"Usually we get a volunteer from the Brotherhood that is willing to create a child," explained Sophia. "We keep the girls and they keep the boys."

"Wow," said Hermione, a little shocked. She couldn't imagine being raised in an enclave of only one sex and brought up to see men as only sperm donors. She glanced at Alexandra.

"That's not how Lexi was born," said Kari, practically swooning. "Mother was in _love_ with her father."

"That was a long time ago," said Sophia gently. "And I made my choice to stay here."

Hermione could see that this seemed commonplace for the girls, but saw the flash of pain across Sophia's face when Alexandra's father was mentioned.

"You would have been miserable in England," said Alexandra.

Sophia shrugged and sipped at her tea, but she seemed to be shooting warning glances at her daughter, who didn't seem to notice.

"Have you gone to England to see him?" asked Hermione conversationally.

"No, but I've heard of him," said Alexandra. "He's a great wizard, and I'm proud to be part of his bloodline."

"Maybe I know your father," said Hermione, thinking of all the Ministry Wizards she knew.

"I know you do," said Alexandra before her mother stopped her. "He's Albus Dumbledore."

Hermione left her tea cup pressed to her lips, but she stopped drinking, frozen in shock. No wonder she had instantly trusted Alexandra. No wonder the twinkle in her eye looked familiar.

Alexandra continued chattering about Dumbledore's accomplishments and how proud she was to be his daughter.

There was one thing Hermione knew for certain: Dumbledore had no idea.

Hermione nodded politely while the wheels turned in her head. She would have to talk to Severus. He was older, her partner in the Order, and he knew Dumbledore better than she did. He would know what to do. She glanced at Sophia, but she seemed to be totally absorbed in her biscuit and said nothing.

* * *

"How did your meeting go?" asked Severus as they sat at the small table in the kitchen in the Snape mansion.

"It was very… informative," said Hermione, reaching for a piece of steak and kidney pie. She was relieved the elves had prepared a British meal. All this foreign food was good, but not nearly as satisfying as food she was familiar with.

The elves had gone back to their den for the night, and a small fire was crackling merrily in the hearth. They had no other light, but the small fire was enough to lend a golden glow to the kitchen.

"That was the idea," said Severus, annoyed. "Feel like sharing any of it with me."

Hermione hesitated and reached for her glass of water.

Severus looked at her, and she felt his beetle black eyes piercing her skin and looking directly into her brain.

"Do you ever use Legilimency on me?" asked Hermione suddenly.

"No. Not unless you think I need to," said Severus, frowning. "What happened?"

"Does Dumbledore know he has a daughter?" Hermione blurted out.

"I beg your pardon?" said Severus, completely taken aback.

"I think you heard me," Hermione snapped. She didn't mean to and felt instantly ashamed but she felt jittery at this information. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

Severus felt the corner of his mouth quirk unwillingly. It was slightly amusing to see his temper wrapped up in such a cute package. No wonder his mother thought he was adorable.

"No wonder you've been acting strange," said Severus, dryly. "You've dropped your fork twice, and I'll be amazed if your glass of water makes it through the meal. Tell me what happened."

Hermione relayed the events during tea.

"So this girl claims to be Dumbledore's daughter," said Severus, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair. "It can be proven with testing, of course, but it might be a trap to lure him here."

"Why would the Amazons want to lure him here?" asked Hermione. "And it seemed like Sophia never had the intention of telling him."

"Good question," said Severus, frowning. "How old does the girl look?"

"Mid-thirties?" Hermione guessed, pushing her now empty plate away.

"We need to tell Dumbledore," said Severus after a long pause. "I know how messy this might make things, but it's very important."

"Why?" asked Hermione. Severus frowned.

"I thought you would see it as your moral duty to tell Dumbledore," said Severus stiffly.

"Initially, yes," said Hermione. "But he has a lot on his plate, and I don't see this as a help to his state of mind. Sophia has already raised Alexandra, and although she has kept up with her fathers exploits, she didn't seem all that motivated to seek him out."

"It's a bit more complicated than that," said Severus slowly. "Hermione, if I give you access to _my_ library, will you promise me you won't become a power-hungry dark wizard?"

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I have some books that are better off lost forever," Severus muttered.

"I solemnly swear," said Hermione, holding her hand up.

"That you are up to no good?" Severus said, smirking. "I already knew that."

"No, I won't turn you into a toad in your sleep," said Hermione. "Get to the point."

"If a powerful dark wizard got a hold of this girl, he could use her blood to magically track and kill Dumbledore," said Severus.

"What!?" Hermione gasped. "How?"

"Hermione," Severus said patiently. "Why do you think bloodlines are so important to wizards?"

"I assumed it was left over from long ago," said Hermione weakly. "Like some of the noble families still see it in England."

"It's not just societal," said Severus. "There is a science to everything we do, although it does seem backwards at times. I'm sorry, Hermione, we're going to have to tell him."

Hermione sighed deeply. "Well, they didn't tell me to keep it a secret."

Severus rose from his chair and kissed Hermione on the forehead.

"I'll take care of it," said Severus. "Have Cherv show you where my special books are."

"Will do," Hermione assured him.

It was only after he left to write his letter, Hermione realized they hadn't really talked about their important meetings at all.


	15. All Bets are Off

Remus Lupin sat at the large, wooden table in the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, drinking a cup of tea and reading the _Daily Prophet_. He was just getting absorbed in an article on a new Irish Chaser when green flames leapt up in the hearth.

"Hello, Remus," Charlie Weasley said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hello," said Remus, setting his paper down. His sleepy eyes crinkled around the corners when he saw Charlie.

"Is Mum around?" Charlie asked.

"No," said Remus. "She went shopping for supper. Anything I can help you with?"

"Just wanted to tell you all bets are off," chuckled Charlie. "The deed has been done."

"Really?" Remus said, his eyebrows raised. "I thought 'Mione'd hold out until at least July."

"They went to the _ballet."_ Charlie rolled his eyes.

Remus shook his head, a half-smile playing around his lips. "So who won the pool? I know I lost two knuts."

"Fred and George," said Charlie. "It figures; they were always good at divination."

"I don't know why Mundungus let them bet at all," said Remus, disgusted.

Charlie shrugged and sat down at the table. "I wouldn't have let them, but I know better."

"Well, I'd better go tell Dung so he'll have a head start when they begin looking for him," said Remus, rising from the table. "Give me an hour."

"Will do," said Charlie, waving his wand and watching a cup of cocoa float to him. "It'll give me plenty of time to read your paper."

* * *

Dumbledore was sitting on the balcony of his family home in Switzerland, sipping a glass of mint lemonade, when a large owl swooped down and landed next to him.

"Hello, there," Dumbledore said, reaching for the parchment attached to the owl's leg. "What do you have for me?"

Dumbledore unraveled the parchment and began reading. His face paled as his eyes ran over the page. His pallor turned red as his eyes reached the end of the page.

"Damnedable woman!" Dumbledore thundered, startling the owl on the railing as he leapt from his chair. "Of all the pig-headed, stubborn—" He flapped his arms helplessly for a moment as his mind searched for words.

He bellowed in frustration instead.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked a small squeaky voice.

Dumbledore looked down to see a small house-elf, slightly cowering behind a chair.

"No, Tiddles," growled Dumbledore. "This is something I have to handle myself."

He raised his wand in the air and with a loud crack, he was gone.

* * *

"Madame?" a young witch said tentatively as she knocked at the door to Sophia's office.

"The door is open. You're more than welcome to come in," said Sophia, her eyes crinkling over the top of her silver- rimmed spectacles. "You're new, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," said the witch. Her short black hair curled out in all directions and her red toga made her light skin and dark eyes stand out. "My name is Helen."

"Odessa's girl?" Sophia asked. "I hear you do well in Charms."

"Yes, ma'am," said Helen, looking nervous. "Unfortunately I'm not here for a pleasure visit."

"Out with it, girl," said Sophia, frowning. Helen looked a little nervous.

"There's a — well—" Helen looked pained.

Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"There's a man outside demanding to see you," Helen blurted out quickly. "Loudly."

"Ah," said Sophia, taking her glasses off and folding them up. Her hands were shaking slightly as she pushed them into a worn brown leather case. "I should have been expecting that. Lower the bridge, I'm going out."

"But ma'am," Helen faltered. "How did he _find_ us?"

"He followed his line," said Sophia, shaking her head.

"Ma'am?"

Helen looked confused, but Sophia said nothing more as she used her cane to rise to her feet and toddled out of her office.

* * *

Dumbledore tapped his foot impatiently on the floating piece of ice in front of the floating fortress and watched as the drawbridge lowered.

He knew better than to storm in, as much as he wanted to. He assumed this place had the same type of wards the Brotherhood had. Although he felt like exploding, the reality of actually exploding didn't appeal to him.

The heavy double doors creaked noisily as they opened, and he watched a small, hunched figure draped in green begin walking towards him, a dozen or more Amazon warriors in close ranks following behind her. The older woman's descent was slow, and the younger females had to pace themselves, but they finally made it to the end of the drawbridge after what felt like an eternity.

He wanted to bellow at her. He wanted to smack her. He wanted to shake her. She lifted her eyes and met his, her jaw set in the same stubborn way he found so attractive so many long years ago.

"Why, Sophie?" he found himself asking quieter than he would have thought himself capable of. He was surprised at how much the sadness came out in his voice.

"We both had obligations," said Sophia, her face pained. "I didn't see any reason to ruin your life."

"We could have made that decision together," said Dumbledore. "I would have liked to have taken some part of her life."

"I know," said Sophia softly. "I was planning to tell you, but years began passing, and you began having all that trouble with You-Know-Who. I didn't want to bring attention to her. She was safer here."

"But now she's grown and not a child anymore," said Dumbledore. "And we're in trouble again."

"I can't change what has happened, Albus," said Sophia, shaking her head. "All I can say is I was trying to protect you and our daughter."

She laid a hand on his arm gently. She felt him tense up, but he did not pull away from her.

_Our daughter._

The words sliced through his chest and went deep into his heart. He closed his eyes for a moment and let his emotions wash over him. He opened them and looked at Sophia.

Her blonde hair had gone white and gotten much, much longer. Her back was hunched, and Dumbledore remembered her tall, with a spine of steel, and a stubborn streak to match. Her heavy, green cloak was pulled tight around her to keep out the cold so he couldn't tell if she had kept her slight figure, but he guessed she had by her thin face.

He shook his head sadly at her.

Alexandra stood in the middle of the ranks of Amazons, her wand at her side and her bow slung over her shoulder. She heard her arrows rattle in their case as she began shaking. Kari nudged her with her elbow. It wouldn't do to become a shaking mess when she was supposed to be setting an example of professional behavior to the new trainees.

She stared at Dumbledore and tried to memorize every detail of him.

Something stirred inside her that she hadn't felt since she had been a very small child, and her stomach began feeling queasy. Her head felt light. She noticed she was chewing on the inside of her bottom lip and her jaw was clenched. She was trying to convince herself that she was too old for this. Another part of her screamed he was going to go and she was going to miss her chance.

Something in her broke as she saw him shake his head and her inner-child won.

"Father!" Alexandra cried out and pushed her way through the ranks that hadn't turned at her cry.

She didn't know how he really felt about all this. She knew he wanted to know of her existence, but didn't know about his opinion about being a father. At this point she didn't care.

Dumbledore raised his eyes and saw a pretty red-headed girl pushing her way through the ranks of archers. She vaguely resembled his mother.

"Mighty Merlin," Dumbledore whispered, stepping forward to see her. "Our baby. Gods, Sophie, she's beautiful."

Alexandra wanted to hug him, to shake him and ask him where he had been, to kiss his wrinkled face, to smack him for losing contact with her mother. As she got closer to him, she realized she didn't know what to do.

She felt stark, naked, and open.

Dumbledore made the decision for her by pulling her into a tight hug.

Alexandra was being held so tightly, she was having trouble breathing, but she didn't care. Her eyes were wide open and tears were streaming out of them, but she wasn't sobbing. The water ran freely down her face and pooled on the purple velvet of his shoulder.

Alexandra vaguely thought she wasn't setting a very good example, but didn't care. The other girls wouldn't understand. They didn't know their fathers either, but most of them considered love to be an impractical thing that happened to other people.

"Run along now," Alexandra heard her mother say to the troops. "We'll be fine."

Alexandra looked over her shoulder to see the troops walking back up to the fortress in broken ranks. She caught Kari's eye as she looked over her shoulder, and the sisters locked eyes. Kari quirked a corner of her mouth at her.

"I think," said Dumbledore carefully, "that we have some catching up to do."

* * *

Hermione sat in Severus' laboratory with a black leather book in her hand. She ate an apple as she turned the pages. An otherwise hidden portal was open behind her and about a dozen books sat on a shelf.

"Find anything interesting?" Severus asked as he walked into the room, empty bottles in his arms.

"It's all interesting," admitted Hermione. "I'm just not sure why anyone would want to do some of it."

Severus shrugged. He looked a little uncomfortable.

She decided not to push it any further. She continued reading _Divination by Reading Entrails_ by Marissa Lumpkettle.

"I thought you hated divination," said Severus, glancing at her.

"I do," said Hermione. "But this seems more scientific than staring at a hunk of glass."

Severus shrugged. "Not really."

Hermione turned the page to see an illustration of a vivisected Muggle. She felt goose bumps rise on her arms and she closed the book.

"Stopping already?" Severus said, an eyebrow raised. "You've only been reading for three hours."

"I feel like stretching my legs," Hermione lied. "It would be a shame to waste the day."

"Would you like to see the grounds?" Severus asked. "We could go to the lake."

"So you could fish?" Hermione asked, an eyebrow raised in mimic of his.

"Well, it would mean we could have fresh dinner," said Severus.

"Yes, we would starve were it not for your ability to fish," said Hermione sarcastically, a smile playing around her lips.

"We could, you know." Severus shrugged, but she saw him smirk as he turned his back to her.

She walked up behind him and shyly encircled his waist with her arms. "We can go to the lake if you want."

"The carpet is ready to go," said Severus. "You should go to the main library and get a book."

"It will only take a minute," she said as she trotted out of the room.

* * *

Severus steered the flying carpet out of his mother's garden and started west to the lake.

"How large is your property?" Hermione asked, startled.

"It is a clever illusion," said Severus. "The lake is behind that crop of trees."

Hermione squinted at the trees in the distance. The land dipped a bit beyond it, and Hermione could see where water must run off.

"Lake?" Hermione spluttered. "It can't be any bigger than a pond."

"Well, it appears to be quite large when you are six," said Severus, scowling.

Hermione chuckled silently.

"Is that when you and Pieter named it: 'The Lake?'" Hermione asked.

"About then," said Severus, nodding as the carpet brushed over the tops of the fruit trees in the orchard. He reached out and pulled an apple off a branch as they passed and bit into it.

Hermione tried to picture Severus at six and couldn't. His mother had to have pictures lying around somewhere.

They soared over the fields, past the orchards, and brushed the tops of the evergreen trees near the water.

Hermione was delighted to see trees enchanted to grow in the shapes of tables and chairs. A couch-shaped tree with the main trunk protruding out of the back of it sat comfortably by the side of the pond.

Severus waved his wand and a golden dome surrounded the area. The air began warming immediately. Hermione slipped her fur cloak off and shook the chill out of her limbs.

Severus walked over to a tree with a huge base that seemed to stop about a meter off the ground. A single thin sprig tapered out of the center of it and jutted upwards a few meters before thin branches laden with light leaves spread out overhead to form an umbrella.

Severus took what looked like small glass blocks out of his pocket and set them on the surface of the naturally formed table. He waved his wand and they grew into preservation chambers. He slid the top off of one and took out a sandwich.

"This is very nice," Hermione said pleasantly. She slid the top off another one to find it full of bait. _"EW!"_

"Oops," said Severus, setting his sandwich down and closing the top of the box she had opened. "I believe that one is mine."

"Thank heaven for that," said Hermione grimacing. There were creepy things in that box.

"The other one should be safe," said Severus, walking to the shoreline with his box of bait.

Hermione sat near Severus, eating her lunch as he cast his line. When she was through, she went over to a reclining tree and nestled into a nook that seemed carved out just for the purpose of creating a cozy place for reading.

Hermione glanced up from her book from time to time to watch Severus reel in his line.

After a few hours, feeling cozy and satisfied with her reading material, she looked at Severus curiously. "Is the pond fit for swimming?"

"Yes," Severus said over his shoulder. "The bottom is sandy so you don't have to wear shoes."

"Perfect," said Hermione, walking by him, completely nude, and descending into the water.

Severus watched as his line wriggled itself away from her.

He was thankful it was enchanted to avoid anything but fish so he didn't have to worry about snagging her or untangling his line.

"Are you going to come in?" Hermione asked.

"No," said Severus. "I don't have a towel." He smirked at her.

Hermione suddenly wished she had planned ahead but tried to play it off. She had her wand. He was just making excuses.

"Suit yourself," she said, floating by on her back and sneaking looks at Severus' expression.

Severus watched Hermione float on her back and sighed contentedly. She certainly was a pretty girl, if infuriating at times.

On the other hand, if she weren't so infuriating, she wouldn't be running through his mind half as much as she did.

"Hermione?" Severus called out.

"What?" Hermione asked, righting herself, her toes sinking into the sandy bottom of the pond.

"I've never had any reason to do the Bubble-Head Charm," he said, clearing his throat. "Do you understand its theory?"

"Of course," said Hermione snippily. "Everyone did after the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"If you wanted to encapsulate another part of your body in air, would it be plausible?" Severus asked, slightly annoyed at her matter-of-fact attitude.

"Well," Hermione said, screwing her face up as if she were trying to recall a textbook page. "I don't see why not, but what would the point be?"

He felt the color creeping into his face and hoped she was too far away to see it. She was his wife, for heaven's sake. He shouldn't be so coy when asking for something so minor.

"I understand a woman's natural lubrication has an annoying habit of washing away," Severus muttered as he reeled in his line. "I wouldn't want anyone to get injured."

"Oh!" exclaimed Hermione, blushing furiously. She had to stop that; it was embarrassing.

She watched as he disrobed and he applied the Bubble-Head Charm to his pelvis. She began giggling hysterically as he entered the water.

"What's so funny?" he demanded as he swam to her and wrapped his arms around her. He hoped desperately it wasn't something he had done.

"I'm not sure that's the head they had in mind," Hermione said, unable to control her laughter.

"How would you know that?" Severus asked as he pulled her closer.

She had an enchanting way of squirming in his arms when she laughed.

"Practicality?" suggested Hermione as she felt him nudge her under water. She wrapped her legs around him and put her hands on his shoulders. She was nowhere near ready to receive him, but she sighed at his persistent nudging as she felt herself begin to smolder.

"Oh, I don't know. It seems quite practical to—" Severus growled suddenly and let go of her, effectively dunking her.

Hermione came up spluttering and resembling a wet sheepdog.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, concerned, between coughs. "What's wrong?"

Severus brushed the hair out of her face and patted her on the back. As his hand went by her face, she saw a black skull and snake etched into his skin of his left forearm.

She grabbed his hand and stared at the burn.

Severus didn't know what to do. Perhaps she had forgotten he had it. Did she find it repulsive? Did she now find him repulsive?

"It looks like it was branded into you," Hermione said, her fingertips hovering above the mark as if she wanted to touch it.

"It was," said Severus.

Hermione looked at the crinkled skin around the brand.

"It doesn't look as if it's healed. Why does it look fresh?" Hermione asked sharply.

"It's frozen in stasis," said Severus, dipping it under the water. The cool water eased the burning a bit. He raised his arm to the surface so Hermione could see it, with the water still covering it. He'd never really shown it to anyone before like this. "It's hidden inside the body and when the spell is woven, it 'wakes up' as it were."

"Does it hurt?" Hermione asked.

"What do you think?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"Well, that was a silly question," said Hermione, embarrassed. "Never mind."

"I think we should get back in the house," said Severus, looking at the sky. "Just to be safe."

Hermione looked up and failed to see anything unusual.

Hermione and Severus climbed on the carpet with just their cloaks wrapped around them and flew back to the manor.

Hermione followed Severus through the house and down to the basement levels of the manor to get to his laboratory. He pushed on a picture of a Mandrake, and Hermione was startled to see a small fire burning cheerfully in a cubby hole in the wall.

"This is a direct line to the Order." Severus threw a pinch of brown powder in the fire before the flames turned green, and he stuck his head in. "Twelve, Grimmauld Place!"

Cherv padded into the room with a change of clean clothing for Severus and Hermione. He smiled cheerfully and waved, but didn't say anything while Severus talked to someone in the wall.

"Hold tight," Severus said indignantly as he pulled his head from the flames. "The Dark Lord is on the loose and he says _'hold tight.'"_

"Who?" asked Hermione.

"Lupin," said Severus, his lips pressed thin. "Apparently Dumbledore is off somewhere and no other news has arrived."

A small silver bell started ringing somewhere nearby, and Hermione noticed a small glass orb on a shelf began glowing orange.

She watched as the little color Severus had drained from his face.

"What's going on?" asked Hermione, her voice quivering.

"The Ministry's under attack," whispered Severus.


	16. The Battle

"What the bloody hell is going on!" Severus thundered, his head submerged in the green flames of the Floo box.

Hermione waited while he was silent for a moment, as if he was listening to a reply.

"Well, I figured that out, Remus," Severus said dryly. "Do you have anything to add to that observation?"

If the situation were not so dire, Hermione would have laughed. At the moment she felt the need to be clothed and ready for combat.

Severus stared into the kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place and fixed Remus Lupin with a stare that would melt steel.

"My orb had been orange for a total of thirty seconds, Severus," said Lupin, visibly annoyed. "Obviously I don't know more than you. Just be prepared to receive casualties, if needed."

Severus nodded sharply. At least it gave them something to do.

He pulled his head back in his laboratory and turned to look at Hermione.

She was bristling like a wet cat. The state of her damp, windblown hair didn't help. She had hastily donned her Muggle clothing and was clutching her wand, white-knuckled. Her eyes were aflame with rage.

"Heavens, that would make me think twice," said Severus sarcastically as he looked her up and down, an eyebrow raised.

"It isn't funny!" shouted Hermione.

Severus took a step back in spite of himself.

"Your friend isn't out there, part of some stupid prophecy out to wreck his life before it started!"

"I did lose friends in the first war, Hermione," Severus said in a deadly calm voice. "Now, I suggest we follow the measly orders we were given and stop bickering while our friends may be falling."

Hermione swallowed hard and nodded. She slipped her wand into a long pouch she had hung on her belt, turned abruptly, and marched out of the laboratory.  
Severus rolled his eyes and sighed. She didn't even know their orders yet.

0

Hermione sat in an armchair near the ballroom fireplace, biting her fingernails.

"Stop that," Severus chided her gently.

She glared at him, but took her fingers out of her mouth.

Cherv poured Hermione a cup of tea, and she sipped at it nervously before setting it down on a small table nearby.

Cherv patted her hand wordlessly before he left them alone.

Hermione watched him leave the room and wondered if Dobby and Winky were safe at Hogwarts. Where _was_ Dumbledore, anyway?

She frowned at her thoughts.

"I'll be right back," she said, getting to her feet and throwing Floo powder into the fireplace.

Hermione steered the small sheet of ice with magic to the Bibliotheque oo Amazon. She was lucky the Floo connection to the small ice cave had still been in working order. She sighed in relief as she rounded the giant iceberg and saw the small table set up on the lowered drawbridge where Dumbledore, Sophia, and Alexandra were eating their lunch.

"Hermione, do join us," Sophia said genially as Hermione grew nearer.

"Thank you," said Hermione, her breath coming in great heaves. "But I have to talk to Professor Dumbledore. I'm sorry for ruining your lunch."

"What's wrong?" Dumbledore asked sharply. He threw his napkin on the table and rose to his feet.

"The Ministry," gasped out Hermione. "It's under attack."

"Duty calls," sighed Sophia. She shook her head sorrowfully.

"I'm going with my father," said Alexandra abruptly, rising to her feet.

Sophia looked alarmed.

"We have sworn a feud with the Dark One as well; it is perfectly acceptable for me to go," Alexandra said stubbornly

Sophia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You are far past your age of ascension. You are free to go." Alexandra's chin was set in an expression that reminded Sophia of Albus when they had been much younger. "You will be missed if you are killed."

"I have to say goodbye to Kari first," said Alexandra, running up the drawbridge.

Sophia watched her daughter go with a soft expression that turned to panic.

"Hermione, quickly," said Sophia, grabbing the young witch's arm. "Go to the hall and blow the silver horn. It is near the Floo fireplaces."

Hermione didn't question, but ran up the drawbridge.

"What does the silver horn signify?" Dumbledore asked as he drew his wand.

"It evacuates the bastards," said Sophia, looking at him sharply. "You found _your _way here, didn't you?"

Dumbledore looked as if he were going to argue, but shook his head and Apparated with a loud _'pop'_ instead.

Sophia stood on the drawbridge alone.

0

Severus sat in his chair near the ballroom fireplace, biting his nails. The wait was nerve wracking.

When the flames leapt up in the hearth, he jumped and upset his untouched cup of tea.

Hermione walked through the flames with a pretty blonde girl in a light yellow toga behind her.

Severus leapt to his feet and realized he didn't know what to do.

"Err… hello?" Severus said awkwardly.

"Hello," said Kari, holding her hand out to him. "I believe I will be hiding here until things calm down."

As Hermione made introductions, the flames crackled and Charlie Weasley's head appeared.

"Those fools stormed in, there was nothing we could do to stop them!" said Charlie, half-shouting.

"The Death Eaters?" Hermione asked, panic stricken.

"No! Ron, Harry, Neville and the young 'uns," Charlie yelled, nearly hysterical, obviously distracted by something else going on in the room he was in. "It's all we can do to keep Mum under control."

Hermione breathed in.

"I have to go," she said, pulling her wand out and appearing to ready herself to walk into the flames.

"I don't think so," said Severus, grabbing her arm.

"You can't stop me!" Hermione shouted at him.

"I most certainly can!" Severus said, drawing himself up to his full height and fixing her with a steely glare.

"It's my duty to go!" Hermione yelled, ignoring his posturing.

"It's not your prophecy, Hermione," Severus said sharply. "You don't have to die!"

Severus never saw it coming.

When he opened his eyes, there was a loud ringing in his ears and his jaw ached. Also, he was on the ground.

He looked up to see Hermione wincing and waving her hand about in pain. Behind her, Charlie's head conveyed an expression of shock and amusement. He threw Charlie's head a look that instantly changed his expression to that of innocence.

Kari watched with interest and poured herself a cup of tea.

Severus looked at Hermione.

She was eighteen years old and only by pulling some strings. She looked vulnerable standing there in Muggle clothing, a hand covering her mouth in horror, her wand forgotten by her side.

_My God, what was I doing at eighteen? _

Probably things best not thought about. Things that could be happening to her friends right now.

"I'm sorry," said Severus, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. "That was uncalled for."

"I'm so sorry," Hermione said, bursting into tears and flinging herself into his arms.

"Couldn't you have just hit me with a Jellylegs?" Severus asked, patting her on the back and allowing himself a small grin while she couldn't see. The girl had a perfect right hook.

She sniffled into the front of his robes.

"I hate to break this up," said Arthur Weasley, his head popping up in the fire near Charlie's. "But we're going to need your help."

"Anything," said Hermione, turning around to look at him, her face set in a mask of grim determination.

0

Hermione had never seen a spell of this magnitude before. She stood before the _Bibliotheque oo Amazon_ with 100 Amazonian archers, all Disillusioned, lined up on flying carpets behind her.

She gave a look to Severus that he interpreted as overly proud as he guided their carpet into the sky.

A deafening bird-like scream ripped through the air, and Hermione looked up to see the sky ripple as if something huge was passing overhead.

"What the hell was that?" Hermione blurted out as their carpet rocked in the air.

"Probably K'pluur's mother," said Severus, smirking at her. "He was just a hatchling, you know."

Hermione looked at him blankly before remembering the tiny snow dragon.

"By the way, we're picking up some Jotuns on the way," Severus said conversationally.

"Why do you know all this?" Hermione asked, slightly annoyed no one had told her anything.

"I'm driving," Severus said simply.

0

Kebnekaise Mountain in Sweden rippled, and a large door appeared in its side. Severus shifted in obvious discomfort by Hermione's side on the carpet.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Well," said Severus sarcastically. "They can only be killed by gods, haven't been aground for nearly 2000 years, and aren't rumored to be very polite."

"Jotun." Hermione rolled the word around in her mouth. Severus could see her thinking and realization dawning on her. "Like _'Loki' _Jotun?"

Her expression went from one of interest to horror.

"Well, I'm fairly sure he won't be showing up," said Severus testily. "But the few like him that survived, yes."

"Severus," said Hermione warily. "According to legend the Jotun never had problems having children. The last time you saw them was 2000 years ago?"

Severus leaned over to the next carpet with Alexandra and several other archers sitting on it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

0

Hermione stared at the eight-legged horse flying next to her carpet. She was desperately trying not to stare at the rider on its back, but it seemed to be as fascinated with her as she was with it.

Its skin was black and shiny like obsidian, although it moved like normal flesh. Its eyes were clouded over like storm clouds; if you watched, you could follow small bolts of lightning through them. Its mouth was a toothless yawn of bloody saliva when it opened.

Right now it was molded in a smirk. Its straight, dark hair was intertwined with small black adders, slithering about. Hermione wondered if they grew from its scalp. Hermione couldn't tell if the rider was male or female.

All the Jotun were different, and if Hermione didn't know better, she would have thought they were all different species.

Some had more than one head. Some were fair, others dark. Some no bigger than a cat, some huge. A covered figure let her veil slip, and Hermione was stunned into awe by the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

The Jotun claimed their kind had a natural defense to Muggles. If the Muggle disbelieved in the Jotun, they just didn't see them. Wizards and magically inclined creatures could see them just fine, but there was not worry over Muggle sightings. Hermione certainly hoped so.

The Jotun wove a strange magic that Hermione didn't understand, and the air started to ripple around them. They all flew their carpets through a ring of blue fire that had appeared in the sky and found themselves in London.

After they arrived at the scene, the battle was a joke.

Hermione had never seen or imagined anything like it.

The top of the Ministry had been blown off, leaving a gigantic hole gaping in the center of London, splintered bits of blown apart buildings and ruptured streets scattered about like a ruined playset.

Muggles were running through the streets screaming. Small fires burned here and there, and Muggle firefighters had to fight the panicked crowds to get to them.

The Jotun barely had to do anything but growl, and the hundreds of well-drilled Death Eaters began breaking up in panic.

The few Death Eaters that took to the air seemingly vanished into nothingness, followed by loud crunching noises and the occasional wail.

Hermione was relieved to see Ron unconscious on the ground, a broken flowerpot by his head.

Of all the things that could have happened to him in battle… she breathed out a sigh of relief.

She searched desperately for any sign of anyone she knew in the ruins. They could be anywhere. How many floors were there, anyway?

A hole suddenly melted in the floor of the entrance hall and Death Eaters began flying out on their broomsticks in organized ranks to attack. They were met with a volley of ebony arrows that had a pinkish glow. As they reached their targets, instead of piercing their opponents, they encapsulated the target in a clear pink glowing egg. The prisoners' wands and brooms were sucked from them and expelled, clattering to the ground.

Hermione watched as the pink eggs fell from the sky, wands and brooms raining down into the wreckage. The egg prisons didn't seem to cushion their landing, and she was happy to see some of them fall quite a distance.

Hermione was disappointed to feel her carpet fall back behind the action.

"What are we doing?" Hermione demanded.

"Apparating to the hall," said Severus shortly as he raised his wand and grabbed her arm.

Hermione and Severus appeared near Ron, and she assessed his wounds. She was right. Just a bump on the head. She saw his wand on the floor near him and put it in his hand so he could find it if he woke up.

Severus was dodging a curse from a small Death Eater and slipping behind a bust of Lothar the Lucky.

_"Petrificus Totallus,"_ said Hermione with a swish of her wand, and the figure fell to the floor.

"Thank you," said Severus, brushing the marble powder from his clothing. He walked to the figure and ripped the mask off. "Jones," he sneered.

Hermione was startled to see the face of a young boy behind the mask.

"Second year," Severus sneered, kicking the boy aside. He marched to the melted hole in the floor and looked down.

Hermione felt pity as she walked by the form, but left him.

They found Neville in a room full of Pensieves with locked covers. To Hermione's horror, he was torturing a Death Eater crumpled on the floor.

"Crucio!" Neville screamed and the Death Eater's back bowed violently.

"Neville!" Hermione cried out as she ran to him.

Bellatrix Lestrange panted weakly, and her fingers convulsed as they scrabbled at the floor. A thin line of drool fell from her mouth and pooled on her robes.

"One curse for each wrapper, you bitch!" Neville shrieked madly as he raised his wand again.

Hermione knew Neville kept the candy wrappers his mother slipped him, but had no idea how many he had accumulated over the years. There must be hundreds.

_"Accio wand,"_ Hermione heard behind her.

Neville's wand flew past her ear, and she heard it _'thwap' _into a hand near her.

"I think that's enough, Mr. Longbottom," said Severus sternly.

The fury drained out of Neville's face, and he stood, shaking and pale, before them.

"Professor?" Neville whispered. His eyes were dilated. "Hermione?"

"He's in shock," said Severus, moving to him slowly.

They could hear the sounds of battle coming from deep within the bowels of the Ministry. The Jotun certainly were efficient.

Hermione hoped they wouldn't cause any trouble once the battle was over.

Hermione heard a low rumble growing under them, and the floor began to shake. She looked at Severus, who had placed a hand on Neville and was examining his eyes. Severus looked up and turned to look at Hermione.

Just then a wave of green energy vibrated up through the floorboards and hit them like a train.

Then all they knew was darkness.


	17. Recovery

Hermione woke in St. Mungo's slowly. Her head felt sluggish and her bed was surrounded with a white divider, blocking her view of the rest of the room. She groaned.

"I think we've got another one," Hermione heard an unfamiliar female voice outside her confines.

The curtain was whipped back and Hermione saw a wide-faced blonde healer standing by her bed. Hermione smiled weakly.

"Don't try to move, dear," said the healer, taking Hermiones wrist and feeling her pulse.

"Where is - what is – how?" Hermione whispered out of her lips. Her mouth felt dry, as if she hadn't talked in awhile.

"Don't you worry, now." The healer fluffed Hermione's pillow under her head gently. "Just save your strength. You've had quite the adventure."

Hermione rested her head on the pillow behind her and closed her eyes.

"Am I a widow?" she asked, her stomach churning.

The healer was silent. Hermione opened her eyes and looked at her.

The healer glanced quickly behind her. She shuddered.

"No dear," she said as if she felt very sorry for her. "He woke last week and has been waiting by you. He must have stepped out for lunch."

Hermione let out her held breath and smiled contently. How long had she been here? She found she didn't care. He had been waiting for her.

"He is a good man," she said as she relaxed. She closed her eyes so she couldn't see the healers' expression. The healer obviously had been one of his former students.

A short while later she recognized the tone of his voice on the other side of the door. There were other beds in her room. She wondered who was in them.

Severus opened the door to the ward and Hermione's eyes were open. She was smiling weakly at him.

"Hello, love," she croaked at him. Her bottom lip was split open and greenish fluid seeped from the wound. Her skin tone looked slightly green.

He took three large steps that covered the distance between them and took her hand in his. His eyes looked like they were tearing up. He pressed her hand to his forehead as he knelt by her bed and she felt it becoming moist. He gently dabbed at his eyes with her sleeve and when his eyes rose to hers they were dry.

"I thought I might die without you," Severus said hoarsely, pressing her hand to his chest. She reached up with her other hand and caressed his cheek. She pulled him to her and he kissed her gently on the lips, afterwards taking both her hands and kissing each of her knuckles carefully.

There was a loud sniffle behind Severus and he turned to see the blonde healer and a new brown haired healer near her sniffling behind their charts. He frowned at them sternly. The blonde healer busied herself by scuttling to one of the covered beds and the other all but ran out of the room.

"I've really got to learn how you do that," said Hermione softly and trying not to laugh. It hurt too much.

He dipped his head so only she could see his face and smiled at her.

"No," he said. "You'll do it to me."

"Smart boy," Hermione said closing her eyes and resting back on her pillow.

Severus smiled down at her and shook his head. He hadn't been called a boy for years and didn't really mind when she did it. He hoped no one else heard it. He heard a small noise behind him and turned around quickly. The blonde nurse quickly darted back behind the partition, silently wiping her nose.

Brainless twit. Hufflepuff. Class of '90. Hopeless romantic. Severus hoped his name wouldn't be tacked onto a propaganda article on the Marriage Law. Hopefully with the Ministry trying to piece itself together they'd drop the whole thing.

No one knew what happened deep in the bowels of the Ministry when Harry and Voldemort did battle. The backlash knocked people unconscious for miles. The Ministry was working closely with the British authorities to cover it up. Some nonsense about a chemical leak, whatever that was.

Most muggles had physical damage and were quickly healed and their things repaired before they were brought to. Their memories were easily modified.

Voldemorts lifeless body was found near Harry unconscious form. It was in storage in Gringotts. Severus had no idea the goblins possessed that type of storage facility. It made him wonder what else they had. He would rather not think about it.

Harry had yet to regain consciousness, but the staff at St. Mungo's were in a state of dismay. Harry now possessed slitted eyes and his scar had spread, getting longer and wider, splitting his face and coming to rest on the top of one cheekbone. No one had a clue as to the cause or the meaning.

Harry was in a padded room surrounded by aurors, bound to the table he rested on.

Ginny was missing her little finger on her right hand. She had gained a blue scar on one arm in the shape of Italy.

Fudge and many members of the Ministry were killed in the attack.

Mrs. Weasley had managed to keep Percy, Fred, George and Arthur busy trying to subdue her and they didn't even become involved in the combat. She would look back in her later years and be terribly pleased with herself.

Ron had gained consciousness the same day as the attack and had been waiting in St. Mungo's for them to wake for weeks. He knew their marriage had been consummated, but had weeks to think and his arguments were weak and unenthusiastic at best when he confronted Severus.

Neville was still unconscious. His grandmother sat by his side every day telling him how proud of him she was with tears in her eyes.

Bellatrix LeStrange had lost her mind. She was placed in the same ward as the Longbottoms and for the first time, Alice Longbottom raised one finger, pointed, and laughed. Her healers said it was the most progress she had made in years.

The captured Deatheaters were being kept in a secret location so they could be tried and convicted later.

The amazons had lost thirteen girls. Alexandra had boasted she had encapsulated seven Deatheaters and drove four more to death by dragon.

The Jotun had asked for the unclaimed dead. The few Ministry that were left had granted them their request and asked no questions.

The black skinned warrior with hair of adders gave Alexandra a pendant to give to Hermione. He said it would assist her in her journey and it was hers by birthright. Alexandra had been glad when they retreated into their mountain and the door had disappeared and knew better than to open a box not meant for her.

Ron and Severus had sorted out their differences waiting for her to wake and Ron waited on the other side of the door, probably dancing by now, waiting for Severus to get him.

Severus had talked to him like a normal human for a change, while waiting for her to wake. Severus loved Hermione. Loved her more than life and didn't think she knew.

Ron watched Severus waiting in the leather chair near her bed, holding her hand, talking to her each day, looking lost and bleak without her, and Ron just – let go. If she wanted Severus it was fine. He had more to offer her anyway, Ron thought bleakly.

Ron walked into the ward, not willing to wait anymore and saw Hermione's face light up at him. She winced.

"Don't hurt yourself," he said, sitting on the other side of the bed and taking her other hand. "You look a right wreck."

"I've been here for weeks," Hermione said. "At least it sounds like it. Why haven't I been healed?"

"You got hit with an experimental potion," said Ron excitedly. "They didn't know if healing would complicate things."

Hermione frowned at this and turned to look at Severus.

"We'll save a bit of money on food," said Severus, smirking.

"What happened?"

Obviously it was funny and not harmful. They both looked like they were trying not to snicker.

"It was for the Aurors, when they have to go on long trips," said Ron. "I wish Neville could see you."

"Neville?" Hermione frowned and looked at Severus.

"You can now photosynthesize," said Severus. "It'll wear off eventually, but you got hit with the full supply. It's only supposed to be taken a few drops at a time and glass from the bottle cut you. It got directly in your bloodstream."

"You looked really cute a few weeks ago," said Ron. "You were really green and your eyebrows looked like grass. Wish I'd thought to have Colin take a picture."

Severus couldn't believe Ron was joking at a thing like this, but Hermione chuckled and Severus relaxed a bit.

"I hope they were smart enough to observe me and gather more test results," said Hermione weakly.

"I ran the tests myself," Severus said, wiping the tears trying to seep out of his eyes. Weasley had seen him break down in the last week, but he didn't want Hermione to see him like this. "I kept careful notes. You'd find them very interesting."

A brown haired healer with a thick German accent bustled in and told them it was time for Hermione to rest. She should not overtax herself. Severus tried to protest but the healer finally shooed him and Ron from the room.

&&

Hermione recovered within the week and found herself back in Severus' quarters at Hogwarts after a weekend visit to her parents. She found herself feeling refreshed if she got a good amount of sunlight, but she was told the feeling would pass.

She had lost so much time she found herself a few weeks before the start of term before she knew it.

Hermione found herself facing Helga Hufflepuff one morning as she walked into the receiving room in Severus' quarters. Her powder blue witch's hat was in her hands and her hair looked slightly untidy in a loose bun.

"Your friend has awakened," Helga said gravely. Helga's mirror had been returned to Severus' quarters, but an empty black canvas had been placed in Dumbledore's office so she could take her place with the other portraits if she so chose.

"Which friend?" Hermione said thinking of both Harry and Neville.

"The Potter boy," said Helga.

"How is he?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Alive," said Helga grimly. "Phineas is reporting to Dumbledore as he finds out information."

"How does it look?" said Hermione nervously.

"I'm really not sure," said Helga. "I wish I had more to tell you, but Phineas hasn't come back yet. The boy is fairly groggy."

"We'll meet you in the office," said Hermione as she turned to get Severus.

&&

Severus and Hermione practically ran through the halls of Hogwarts, including through several hidden passages not included on the Marauders Map.

"Key-Lime Truffle," Severus boomed at the gryphon guarding Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore sat in his office, the frame of Phineas Nigellus levitated near his desk so he may talk to him with ease. His fingers were steepled and glasses rested on the end of his nose. His eyes moved as Hermione and Severus entered his room, but he didn't turn from the empty frame.

Severus sat down in a chair in front of the desk and Hermione chose the one next to him. They sat in silence. Hermione stared at her hands, folded in her lap and just wished someone would say something.

Phineas appeared in the mirror and gave a distasteful look to Dumbledore.

"The boy seems to be, in fact, the boy," said Phineas with a sniff. "I don't think anyone would stop you from going. They're a pretty rag-tag group."

"Thank you, Phineas," said Dumbledore.

It was the best he was going to get from the painting. It was best they go to see it first hand. The Ministry needed all the help it could get.

&&

"Hermione," Harry said smiling.

Hermione smiled weakly at him. Severus stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder.

Harry looked frightful. His scar cleaved his face in two. His slitted eyes stared out in the same bright green they had always been, at her from sockets that crinkled at the corners in a familiar way. Hermione couldn't help but think back on the prophecy.

_When the mark of thunder shines upon one__  
__And Darkness retreats into the night to rest__  
__The midnight sun shines bright in the sky___

_One with fathers taken twice shall rise into the light__  
__Plunging darkness into he will fall__  
__Within him power will grow___

_Two paths here are laid__  
__Light and Dark will be inside__  
__Cleaving one into two___

_The answer lies with the givers of life__  
__To show the path__  
__Under the sea_

How are you feeling?" said Hermione tentatively as she approached the bed. The bonds she had heard about were gone, but Aurors still stood guard out of the room.

"Really tired," said Harry. "My brain feels slow."

Hermione sat next to the bed nervously. Severus stood near the door, arms folded watching them.

"Has anyone told you anything?" asked Hermione, hoping that was a vague enough question.

"I killed him," said Harry, letting his head fall back on his pillow. His eyes closed and he looked serene. "Voldemort is dead."

Hermione reached out and took his hand. It was easier with his eyes closed.

"Now you're _really_ a hero, Harry," said Hermione, quirking a corner of her mouth at him. He barely lifted his eyelids at her and grinned cynically.

"Guess I am," said Harry. "Nice to be able to live up to it for a change."

Severus snorted from the doorway.

"Well, you'll always have people to keep your head from swelling," said Hermione shooting Severus a look. He made a face at her.

Harry chuckled.

"Now, what's so funny?" asked Hermione gently, as she brushed a wild lock of hair out of his eyes.

"I heard you two fancied each other, but this is funny," Harry said. "I never would have guessed."

"How did everyone find out?" Hermione demanded. "I mean-," she spluttered.

"The elves told Charlie," said Harry.

"Charlie was spreading gossip about our marriage?" Severus frowned.

"Well, he had to tell Mundungus," said Harry, beginning to chuckle. Severus saw where this was going quickly and his cheeks flushed in both embarrassment and anger.

"Mundungus?" Hermione said confused.

"Well, he was the one running the pool," said Harry, laughing and suddenly regretting it as his body was wracked with pain.

Hermione gasped, obviously appalled. If Harry wasn't in such a state she would have been shaking him.

"There was a pool?" Hermione managed to squeak out.

"Who won?" asked Severus curiously. Hermione was obviously upset enough for the both of them and any curses she threw would probably be overlooked.

"Fred and George," said Harry.

Severus sniffed.

"You're all disgusting," said Hermione, folding her arms.

"I didn't bet," said Harry. "And Ron didn't even know about it until the end."

Hermione relaxed a little but would be having a word with both Mundungus and the twins later. She shivered at the thought of having to marry the dirty little wizard. What would he have pulled if she was his wife?

"What do you remember, Potter?" Severus said evenly.

Harry took a breath and acted like he was trying the best way to word things.

"We locked wands and Voldemort tried to get in my head," said Harry. "We fought."

Harry was silent for a time.

Severus knew what had happened. Harry had seen the life of Tom Riddle and they had exchanged memories. Severus could only imagine what horrors he had seen, but a part of him vaguely worried about what Harry had learned about him.

"I believe I won," said Harry.

Severus knew they'd never get much more of an explanation than that. He nodded at Hermione and she closed her mouth before she could persist with any questions.

"Potter, have you seen a mirror?" asked Severus.

"A mirror?" said Harry, confused. "Why would anyone give me a mirror?"

"Your scar has gotten quite a bit larger," said Severus. "I'm guessing it was because of the level of the melding."

"Well, I'm a hero," said Harry, feeling like he could rest for the first time in years. Feeling exceptionally brave enough to be snarky to Snape. "I don't have to be pretty." Harry secretly hoped it made him look cool.

"And your eyes, Harry," said Hermione trepedatiously. "They look serpentine."

Harry reached up to realize he wasn't wearing his glasses.

"What happened?" said Harry. His face went blank for a moment. "Oh, that makes sense."

"What makes sense?" Severus asked warily, taking a step forward.

"The knowledge of Abraxas would change my appearance and I am a parselmouth, aren't I?" said Harry.

This made almost no sense to Severus and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Knowledge would be enough to change your appearance?" Severus said heavily.

"This knowledge would," said Harry placing his hand on the side of his head.

The door to Harrys ward opened and Dumbledore walked in, followed by Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shackelbolt.

Arthur tried not to show anything in his face, but a muscle in his jaw twitched. Kingsley had been there when Harry woke up so he didn't have a reaction to Harry's appearance.

"Hello," said Harry, sitting up. "Where's Ron?"

"In the waiting room with the rest of the family," said Dumbledore, trying to look cheerful although worry lines creased his forehead. "We wanted to see how you were before Molly- had vapors over you."

Harry chuckled.

"I feel a little tired," said Harry. "Really groggy."

"I think the family reunion can wait for another day," said Arthur. "You've really been through a lot, Harry."

"I really think he's right," Hermione said before Harry could protest. "Tomorrow will come before you know it and you'll feel a little better."

Harry scrunched his face at her and laid his head back onto his pillow.

"You'll thank them later," said Kingsley, thinking of Molly's reaction without being warned gently about Harry's appearance.

A dark haired healer walked into the room with a gold potion bottle. Severus stopped him and sniffed the contents of the bottle. The healer seemed taken aback but allowed the intrusion. Severus nodded and the healer gave Harry the potion. He fell into a relaxed, dopy state and the healer told them he would need more rest.

"That's fine," said Dumbledore, smiling through a strained expression. "Thank you."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Harry," said Hermione, smiling at him in a way she hoped looked normal.

"I promise to be more awake tomorrow," said Harry sleepily.

"Of course you will," said Hermione.

&&

Molly Weasley spooned chowder into the long line of bowls running along the counter in 12 Grimmauld place. She had been silent since Arthur and Dumbledore took her into a quiet room to talk to her about Harry.

Since the destruction of the Ministry, Grimmauld Place had been used as a place for aurors to gather information, rest, eat, and plan reconstruction of their department.

The aurors had been a great help in finally getting the place clean and the dark objects removed or destroyed. Some of the items were in observation where the Department of Mysteries had been temporarily located.

"I'll serve them, Molly," Remus Lupin said, taking two of the bowls from the counter. "You sit down. You've already done more than your share."

It was a sign that not all was right with Mrs. Weasley when she sat down wordlessly, not even bothering to protest. When Lupin put her bowl in front of her she ate without making a sound.

Tonks slipped into the room and took a seat beside Molly.

"How's Harry?" Lupin asked.

"Awake and talking to Dumbledore," said Tonks. "Harry's seen what he looks like."

"And?" Lupin asked, raising an eyebrow as he placed a bowl in front of Tonks.

"He seemed to take it well," said Tonks shrugging. "But you never can tell."

Lupin nodded as he laid a basket of bread on the table and other aurors filed into the room.

Hermione and Severus walked through the fireplace with a whoosh of green flame. Molly looked up at them and shook her head at Severus. He frowned at her. How dare the woman insinuate he seduced Hermione? He had kissed her, he admitted that much, but Hermione had returned it and she was a perfectly capable, logical young lady. Severus decided not to voice his opinion. Molly had enough stress and Severus didn't want to be her target when she finally snapped.

"Harry's really awake now," said Tonks to Hermione and Severus. Hermione seemed to be happy in her marriage and frankly, Tonks had other things to worry about. Severus had an attitude but he was mostly bark, Tonks knew that. Hermione could handle him.

"How is he?" said Hermione as a witch in bright green robes bustled her way past to get her meal.

"Feeling much better," said Tonks, waving to a handsome middle-aged blonde wizard in dark blue robes as he grabbed a bowl and left the room. "He's up and talking to Dumbledore."

"Any insight to what happened to him?" asked Severus, getting jostled by an ancient little wizard in orange robes trying to balance four bowls of chowder on a tray for people elsewhere in the house.

"As far as we can tell Voldemorts brain collapsed during battle," said Tonks. "Harry got all his memories and knowledge."

"What?" whispered Molly, looking up from her chowder.

"Voldemorts not hiding in there," said Tonks. "Dumbledore examined him extensively. Harry said it was like watching a movie in fast-forward."

"My God," Hermione said, collapsing onto the bench across from Molly and Tonks. The green robed witch sat beside her and started eating quickly.

"He'll be alright," said the auror between mouthfuls of food. "Listened to some of the interviews. Very informative. We'll learn a lot from him."

Molly sighed and stirred her chowder absent-mindedly.

"He was born to do this, Molly," said Lupin, handing her a hunk of bread. "Nothing we could have done. We did try, you know."

Molly nodded and nibbled at the bread. Hermione reached across the table and squeezed Molly's hand. Molly didn't look up but clutched Hermiones hand.

Green flames leapt in the hearth and all of them turned to look at Dumbledore as he entered the kitchen. No one said a word.

"I've never seen all of you so glum," said Dumbledore, a tired smile playing around his lips. "Harry will recover, although he's been through more than anyone should ever have to."

"He'd been through more than anyone should by the end of his fourth year," said Severus under his breath. Only Dumbledore heard him.

"He can see visitors tomorrow," said Dumbledore looking at Molly. "Although it is advised he not be excited."

"I'm sure we can manage to hold it together," said Hermione before anyone else could say anything.

Molly sighed resignedly, but nodded in agreement.

&&

Hermione, Severus and Ron sat in a waiting room at St. Mungo's. The room had two doors, one going into the hospital and the other was the only door to Harry's room. Both doors had two aurors guarding it. The aurors in the hospital hall stood erect on either side of the door, impressive looking and grim. The aurors in the waiting room were playing cards on a small table. Some of the aurors had been called back, but six were on duty at all times, standing guard on the other side of the walls without doors.

The Ministry was taking Harrys condition very seriously.

Molly, Arthur and Dumbledore were in Harry's room. They had been in there nearly 30 minutes and Ron was beginning to fidget.

Hermione had paled, but still possessed a slight greenish tinge to her skin.

The door swung open. Molly looked slightly pale, but had a tired smile on her face.

"He's going to be all right," she said. "Considering."

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath.

"You can go in and see him now," said Dumbledore. "I'm sure he'd appreciate seeing someone normal, for a change."

Molly gave him a look but Hermione and Ron practically leapt to their feet and ran to Harry's door.

Hermione stopped Ron with a hand on his arm before he flung open the door. He stopped in his tracks. She looked at him and he took a deep breath before opening the door calmly.

Severus watched as Hermione and Ron quietly entered the room.

"Hello, Harry," Severus heard Hermione say as the door closed softly behind them.

"Well?" asked Severus, steeling himself for anything.

"Are you familiar with the idea of mind-melding?" Dumbledore asked.

"Its part of a muggle fable, is it not?" Severus asked.

"Not such a fable any more," said Arthur running a hand through his light red hair. It seemed to have gotten much whiter then Hermione could have imagined possible in the last few weeks.

"He has all the Dark Lords knowledge?" Severus asked.

"All of it," said Molly, brusquely. "He's lucky to be alive."

"Indeed," said Severus nodding, his eyebrows raised. He was surprised the boy wasn't mad. He wondered what depraved knowledge he had been exposed to.

"But apparently it is Harry," said Arthur shaking his head. "Horrible burden for a boy to have to bear."

"Harry has done more in 18 years than most lifetimes ever see," said Dumbledore. "If he travels the right path he'll become a very wise man."

No one could think of anything to say.

&&

"Wow, Harry," said Ron.

"The healers say they're working on it," said Harry. "But I wouldn't hold your breath."

"You thought people stared at you before," Ron mused.

"Ron!" Hermione said sharply.

"He's right, you know," said Harry quietly as he set down the hand mirror he had been holding. His light blue pajamas looked rumpled and a stack of Ron's comic books sat near the bed. Molly had brought them to keep Harry busy and away from the Daily Prophet.

Hermione didn't know what to say to Harry. She had a stint as a cat once and felt deep sympathy for him. She had recovered from the polyjuice potion. He probably would never recover.

"Well, look at the bright side, Harry," said Ron. "You'll probably never have to wait in line for anything ever again."

Hermione and Harry both looked at Ron in bewilderment.

"Never mind," muttered Ron.

"You'll probably never be able to return to the muggle world," said Hermione softly.

"I know," said Harry. "I don't know if that upsets me or not."

"Wouldn't be that upset if I was you," snorted Ron.

"Why is that?" Hermione asked curiously.

"A scout for the Hornets was in the Ministry the day of the attack trying to get a floo connection for his new house," said Ron excitedly. "Saw you on your broom, Harry. He was really impressed."

"What did you do on your broom?" Hermione asked.

"Well there was a bit of air battle getting in," said Harry, shrugging.

"Bit of air battle?" asked Ron incredulously. "It was some of the best flying I've ever seen. You should have seen it, Hermione!"

"You're lucky you're such a good flyer," said Hermione, finally snapping. "I can't believe you just ran off to do this yourselves. It was stupid and thoughtless of you!" Her stern tone had risen in pitch and was approaching a screech. She had finally snapped.

Dumbledore opened the door to Harry's room to see what the commotion was. Hermione shot him a look and he backed out.

Ron began to worry.

"Hermione-," Harry began.

"Don't you start!" Hermione boomed. "You could have gotten killed, or worse. You should have waited for the others."

"They never would have let us go," protested Ron.

"With good reason!" yelled Hermione. "What if the Deatheaters had gotten hold of Harry?"

"Well, they didn't," said Harry, raising the eyebrows over those green serpentine eyes of his.

"Well, isn't that convenient," Hermione said testily. "Just because it worked this time total chaos is justified!"

Ron threw his hands up behind her and she wheeled around on him. He stepped back and stumbled into a chair.

"And you," Hermione began. In Ron's eyes she seemed to get bigger than she really was. Her nostrils flared. "You should have known better. Of all people."

"What, 'of all people?'" Ron exploded back at her. His fingers were white clenching the arms of his chair. "You weren't here, Hermione. It was pandemonium! No one could organize, the Ministry was in pieces, Dumbledore was missing-," Ron rattled out.

"I know," said Hermione. "I had to go get him."

"You knew where he was?" breathed Ron. "Everyone's been really secretive about it."

Harry was politely silent. He knew nothing about this, Hermione could tell, but was curious.

"I-I don't know if it's something he really wants everyone to know," said Hermione. "I really wish I could tell you."

Harry nodded, but Rons face screwed up at her.

"Oh come on, Hermione," Ron persisted. "It's all over now."

"It may not be," said Hermione. "The Amazons have an obscure prophecy that might apply."

"How many prophecies can one person have about them?" Ron asked, looking at Harry.

Harry shrugged.

"If it makes you feel better, I'd rather there are no prophecies about me at all," said Harry, sounding tired.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said. "But you idiots had me so worried and I was so far away…" Hermione trailed off.

"How was Russia?" asked Harry.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about my trip," said Hermione.

"Of course I do," said Harry. "It will be a normal subject for a change. Maybe you'll even stop yelling." He quirked a corner of his mouth at her. It made him look sinister.

She made a face at him and told him about her trip.

"His mother sounds desperate for grandchildren," laughed Harry. "Be careful if you don't want a brood."

Hermione blushed furiously. Ron didn't look deliriously happy, but he managed to shake his head at her and give her a small smile. Ron kept repeating to himself Severus could offer her more and she loved him. The pain would pass. Percy could council him that much.

"Come on, Hermione," said Ron awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. Hermione felt a pang of regret.

"I don't think it would be a practical time to start a family," said Hermione. "I mean, if one were to happen."

"You haven't even gotten that far, have you?" Harry asked, laughing.

"Well, it's not as if we've had a lot of time to talk about it," Hermione said, flustered.

"You haven't even talked about it?" Ron asked, incredulously.

"We haven't been … intimate for that long," Hermione said, annoyed. She could not believe she was having this conversation. "I've known you for years and I don't know how many kids you want."

"None," Ron said.

"None?" Hermione and Harry echoed.

"I'm sure I'll have plenty of nice nieces and nephews to entertain me," said Ron. "Then I can give them back and go far away."

Harry laughed.

"You'll change your mind when you meet the right girl," said Hermione. "That's the same thing Viktor said and look at him and Tristan."

Ron scowled at being compared to the Quidditch player. Hermione ignored his look.

"I'd like a couple, maybe," said Harry thoughtfully. "Although I'm not sure who'd be with me now."

"Don't say that, Harry," said Hermione. "And that's stupid. I can think of someone."

"Yea," said Ron. "If you aren't married to Ginny by the time you're 30, the Ministry'll make you pair up and you'll get a wife. She might even be nice."

"Ron!" Hermione said, shocked.

"I'm sure that's going to be one of the first things to go," Harry laughed. "A lot of things at the Ministry are going to change."

"I don't doubt that," Hermione said. "Mr. Weasley has been working really hard. There's talk he may become Minister of Magic."

"My dad?" Ron asked, stunned. "Minister of Magic?"

"Well there's not many from the Ministry left, are there?" Hermione asked. "Many remember Fudge trying to discredit your father when he wanted to get prepared for the Dark Lord."

"Your dad's a hero, Ron," said Harry.

"Wow," said Ron, looking surprised and a little proud. "Might get a little respect out of this after all."

"We've always respected you, Ron," said Hermione softly. He grinned at her and hugged her back when she flung herself in his lap and threw her arms around him. It was good to have her back.

"I leave for two minutes and I find you in the arms of another," came a cold voice from the doorway. Ron felt the color drain from his face. Hermione looked at his expression and burst out laughing.

"Stop doing that!" Hermione demanded. "They're not your pupils anymore."

"I am aware of that, wife," said Severus sneering at her.

She blew a raspberry at him. Harry was fine. Ron wasn't mad at her. She was in a fine mood. 

Severus felt his lips tremble and finally let out a small chuckle.

"How am I ever to keep up my reputation if you keep amusing me, so?" Severus asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Not my fault your façade was so easily shattered," Hermione said. Ron wrapped his arms around her, feeling her weight in his lap. He firmly nodded in agreement.

"Just don't let it get out," Severus sighed.

"Mums the word," said Harry. Severus looked at the slitted green eyes and shivered. The boy truly looked frightful.

"I would hope so," said Severus hoping it would have some meaning for Harry.

"Hermione, Ron, can you please leave us for a moment?" Harry said. "Severus and I have a bit to talk about."

"Of course," said Hermione, realizing what knowledge Harry possessed. Severus' Deatheater days. She imagined they would have a bit to talk about.

Hermione and Ron rose to leave the room.

"Want us to smuggle you anything, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Chocolate frogs, if they have any," said Harry. "There should be some money in my pouch. It's in the drawer over there. Get whatever you want, as well."

Ron rustled a bit in the drawer and came up with a heavy purse that jingled.

"Thanks, Harry," said Hermione. "We'll be back in a bit."

Ron and Hermione left with a soft click of the door.

Severus turned and looked at the face split by a lightning scar. The slitted green eyes narrowed at him. 

Severus looked into the eyes of his two greatest fears rolled into one. He could do a number of things. He chose the honest way for the sake of his wife. He told the truth.

"I love her," said Severus softly.

Severus' facial muscles relaxed and Harry looked at Severus as if for the first time. Severus looked very tired and worn.

"You must," said Harry. He paused. "I do remember everything that ever happened in Tom's life."

Severus looked at Harry quizzically and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Tom?" Severus asked.

"Well, no matter how much power he got and what titles he gave himself he always thought of himself as Tom," said Harry rubbing his forehead and the area between his eyes. "He hated himself for it."

Severus felt sorry for the boy. Historians would be bothering him for the rest of his life.

"It-," Severus started. "Your knowledge must be-"

"Incredible," said Harry. "You have no idea."

"I have a small idea," said Severus.

"You-," began Harry fumbling for words that he didn't ever think he would hear himself say. They had a difficult time coming out of his mouth. "Are an incredibly brave man."

"Thank you," said Severus sincerely.

"Take care of Hermione," Harry said. "If you don't I will be most displeased."

Severus shivered for the second time that day.

"I will," said Severus.

&&

"What do you think they're talking about?" Ron asked Hermione. They were walking back from the cafeteria clutching bags full of vending machine candy and sandwiches.

"Probably about Severus' time as a Deatheater," said Hermione. "I wonder if Harry can activate the Dark Mark."

"Do you know about Severus' past?" Ron asked.

"Not a lot," Hermione admitted. "He tells me in bits and pieces. I think he's more embarrassed about it than anything."

"Aren't you curious?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure I want to know," Hermione said with a shrug. "I've already seen his library."

Ron suddenly stopped in front of a door. Hermione stopped and looked through the window in the door to see what he was staring at.

A stuffed vulture perched on a witch's hat. It bobbed slightly as the witch talked. It didn't look as if anyone was sitting up and talking back to her. Hermione looked at Ron and he looked at her guiltily.

Hermione pushed the door open and the witch turned around.

"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom," said Ron as he and Hermione walked into the room.

"Hello, children," said Mrs. Longbottom. Hermione mused they'd be grandparents and Mrs. Longbottom would still be calling them children.

"How's Neville?" Ron asked and was instantly sorry. He winced slightly.

"Still sleeping," said Mrs. Longbottom. "He did have a bit of a shock. It will probably take him a bit longer than you did to come around."

"Probably," Hermione said forcing herself to smile.

"They say he can hear people when they talk to him," said Mrs. Longbottom. "You should say hello."

Hermione forced Ron to walk forward and go around to the foot of the bed. Neville lay motionless on white sheets. His face looked thinner than she remembered it ever being. His blue pajamas looked crisp and new and his hair was freshly combed.

"Heya, Neville," Hermione said cheerfully. "We miss you terribly."

"We sure do," said Ron. "Harry beat you in waking up. You need to catch up."

Mrs. Longbottom beamed at them.

"I keep telling him he managed to avenge his parents," said Mrs. Longbottom. "I don't know if he understands yet."

"I'm sure he does," Hermione said softly. "I was there when the wave hit."

Mrs. Longbottoms smile seemed frozen for a second, but she nodded at Hermione.

"Good," Mrs. Longbottom said. "He was very fond of you. If he'd been of age he'd have petitioned for you himself."

Hermione blushed slightly and Ron stiffened beside her. How much competition had he been up against, anyway?

"He's always thoughtful of others," said Hermione a bit awkwardly.

"That's our boy," said Mrs. Longbottom proudly. "Just like his father."

Ron smiled and nodded politely, a smile frozen on his face.

"Look at the time!" Mrs. Longbottom exclaimed. "If I want to see Frank and Alice I have to get going."

Hermione and Ron said their good-byes to Mrs. Longbottom and Neville; then quickly left the ward.

"Well, that was creepy," muttered Ron walking quickly along a corridor. Hermione had to quicken her pace to keep up.

"Most of her family is here, Ron," said Hermione. "I can't imagine how she holds it together."

Ron was quiet while they made their way back to Harry's ward. His walking had slowed down a bit.


	18. Chapter 18

Harry left the hospital soon after the doctors were convinced he was healed and quite honestly, a danger to no one.

Sirius Black had left Grimmauld place, his money, and his possessions to Harry in his will. With the arrival of Harry's 18th birthday, the title and deed were transferred to him. Narcissa Malfoy was furious and was contesting Harry's claim to what she insisted was her family home and fortune. Perhaps she was upset at the death of her husband and capture of her son during the raid at the Ministry.

Harry soon moved into his new house and honestly, seemed a bit lonely after the aurors moved back to the rebuilt Ministry. The house had been completely cleaned out of all charms and spells. Any protections were standard, although Harry could add any of his own. He started the day he moved in.

The magical items that were deemed safe were kept; others were taken elsewhere or disposed of. Harry was recompensated with a large amount of gold and the thanks of the Department of Mysteries

The scout from the Hornets began hounding Harry shortly after he had moved in, but Harry decided he needed a few weeks to himself before settling himself in a career. Especially one so public, looking the way he did.

Reporters bothered him constantly and he was pelted with owls at all hours.

Harry had been offered a number of house elves from some of the older wizarding families as a token of their thanks. With help from Hermione he assured them of a steady wage and time off to pursue other hobbies. For some of the elves that meant doing work in a different part of the house, unpaid. Hermione was frustrated but took Severus' advice and finally gave up. Harry was impressed.

Harry even negotiated a contract for an enthusiastic young elf on behalf of the Weasleys and Molly finally got extra help around the house. She nearly cried.

Dobby accepted Hermione's invitation to visit the Snape estate before the school year started. Soon after he wrote to Professor Dumbledore requesting he make use of vacation time he had saved up. When Dumbledore asked Hermione about it she just smiled and said Dobby had so much to entertain himself with there he probably wanted to make the most of his trip. Dumbledore had looked at her suspiciously, but approved Dobby's request.

Dumbledore took Hermione's advice and additionally, hired her as a councilor at the school. The Ministry had put all new hiring on hold and Hermione still didn't know whether she wanted a Ministry position at all. She was needed at Hogwarts for the time being. A school harboring any animosity in a post-war situation could be volatile. To Hermione's surprise he had also hired a former Slytherin, Blaise Zambini to be a councilor as well.

Hermione vaguely remembered the Slytherin, although they had shared classes. He was a thin young man of medium height. His dull red hair hung lank and lifeless on his head and was cut unevenly, as if he had done it himself. His skin was pale and had a grayish pallor to it. His mouth was a thin slash set in a long face. His dull brown eyes blinked slowly at whatever he was looking at. He had always been quiet in class and had kept to himself.

Now that the war was over and they were out of school, Hermione was pleased to find Blaise was shy and intelligent. She also noticed he never wore green or black, although he wore a silver pin with a snake on it. She never asked why.

When the year started the children of the Deatheaters and other pureblooded families seemed to be able to talk to him, and he seemed to perform his job well. He was organized and efficient. Hermione was thankful for the help.

Unfortunately, some of Hermione's friends were still students and they wanted to pop by at all hours. Most of the time they showed up when they were supposed to be in class and just wanted the afternoon off. Hermione turned them all away, annoyed they were wasting her time. After she had taken 30 points from Gryffindor they finally stopped showing up.

Even more unfortunate, Hermione found there was a desperate need for councilors at Hogwarts. Some of the First Years of mixed parentage, away from their parents for the first time, suffered from incredible nightmares and the house elves reported an occasional bed wetting to Hermione. She often found herself summoned out of bed in the middle of the night to talk to a hysterical student.

Blaise found himself more often summoned to the hospital wing. Apparently Deatheater children had a bizarre idea of what their duty was once their side had lost. He very nearly lost his nerve after they had found the first suicide attempt. He came back to the office he and Hermione shared covered in blood. He had calmly made a cup of tea and stared into the fire until it was nearly time for dinner. Hermione had given him a biscuit and he offered her a single small smile. It looked as if it pained him. The girl survived.

Madame Pince was thankful for the assistance. If Hermione and Blaise hadn't stepped in, it would all fall to her in addition to her normal duties as healer of Hogwarts.

Severus had started out the year with his 'bottle fame, brew glory' speech, much to the annoyance of Hermione and Professor McGonagall who happened to be passing his room as he started his first class of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Professor McGonagall fixed Hermione with a withering look and Hermione had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

Neville had woken a few weeks after the school year. From what Ron said, it sounded like he was in the magical version of physical therapy. He walked with a noticeable limp now and talked much slower than he usually did. Ron commented that his father had thought this was because Neville had become more focused, not because he had any damage to his brain. Neville had already written to the Ministry about information on their Auror program.

Mrs. Longbottom had showed up at the Ministry while construction was still going on, demanding to speak to whoever was in charge. She demanded Neville be hailed as a hero publicly and her family be noted for their dedication to the cause. Mr. Weasley, who was in charge although no one was using the title 'Minister,' agreed and decided to boost morale in the nation by throwing a celebration for the battle heroes with a special part of it dedicated to the Longbottoms. The celebration was to coincide with Halloween and would be covered extensively by both the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler.

Luna Lovegood was now her father's top reporter and the only person to get an interview with Harry Potter. Mostly, because she let him help her write the questions and he edited it with her. It talked about his disfigurement, but there was yet to be a picture published of him since the battle.

Mrs. Weasley was rapturously proud of her husband and joked since there was no Minister he had become the nations 'Arthur.' Dumbledore was still peppered by owls a dozen times a day but unlike Fudge, Arthur seemed to pay attention to Dumbledore's replies and the owls soon stopped arriving so rapidly.

Remus Lupin had been granted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. After some new changes at the Ministry it became much easier for him to get a job, as long as the proper precautions were taken. His students quickly warmed up to him and he was freely able to discuss lycanthropy, its effects, and how to avoid it happening to you.

Hermione was delighted to find Remus' quarters were somewhat near hers and invited him to join the scavenger hunt for charmed items in her room. Severus wasn't pleased at the intrusion, but rather than argue with Hermione he retreated to his room and bound it with a silencing charm.

Hermione had finally showed Severus all the pictures Colin had developed of their quarters and he laughed out loud at the vines on her bed. Helga said she vaguely remembered putting the charm on the bed at the request of a suitor, but really didn't remember all the charms on the room anymore, or even who the suitor was. She did remember he fathered her third child, however. She looked chagrined.

Since Severus was prone to loud snoring at times, Hermione was thankful for a bedroom of her own to retreat to; otherwise she used the room as her study. Severus still used the room on a regular basis for fishing, but otherwise stayed out of it. He wasn't willing to feel her wrath by upsetting any of her piles of scrolls or books.

Once a week, Hermione took the floo connection to the Bibloitheque oo Amazon. She reported anything she found out on Harry's condition to the Amazons. Harry was a bit curious about them, but regarded them in the same category as the dozens of historians that were owling him on a daily basis.

The Amazons weren't really interested in the information Harry had gained about Voldemort, but the process used to make the exchange happen. This was their only difference from the other historians, in Harry's eyes.

Well, and their tendency to send him pretty girls to talk to.

Ginny found herself very popular her Seventh Year. Although she was polite and socialized, she mostly kept to herself. There was no way to hide her missing finger, but the cut was so exact most people didn't notice unless she gestured with her hands. Her scar was covered by her robes. She hadn't gone to see Harry after she heard what happened to him. She never talked about the battle to anyone.

The Marriage Law was disillusioned after the Ministry was ready to take on new business. Several marriages were annulled, some with the authorities having to step in to retrieve confined women.

To everyone's surprise, Parvati Goyle stood by her new husband and refused the offer of an annulment. Gossip said she stood by him because of his change of sides near the end of the war, but those close to him said it was the stubbornness and loyalty of a good woman that changed him. Either way, it one of the very few marriages that worked out, unexpectedly.

Hermione felt it was inappropriate to comment.

&&

"Severus?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Severus lay nude under the sheets near her. He had planned to spend the day fishing off her window ledge, but she had been reading a stack of parchments when he came into her room, only wearing a towel wrapped around her waist and one around her hair. They hadn't stayed in place for long.

"What?" Severus frowned at her sternly.

"What?" Hermione asked, taken a little aback at his reaction.

"You only use that tone when you're about to say something you don't think other people will like," Severus said. "How expensive is it?"

"Well, I suppose that depends," Hermione said, stalling. "This is not the way I imagined this conversation happening," she said, a little annoyed.

"I'm sorry," said Severus, relaxing a little. He thought to himself that he would have to work on his paranoia. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering," began Hermione slowly.

Severus froze. Was she going to ask him about his past? His Deatheater past? God forbid, his sexual past?

"Do you think you'll ever want children?" Hermione blurted out.

Severus blinked.

He had a whole school full of children. They drove him absolutely mad. Pieter seemed to enjoy his, but he seemed to have the most well behaved children on the planet. Curious, considering how he and Severus had been as boys.

"I honestly hadn't given it much thought," said Severus, propping himself up one elbow. "Do you want children?" He was relieved. It was a touchy question, but unlikely to lead to divorce.

"Well," said Hermione, trying to sound logical in case she was going to have to present an argument. "I had always imagined I'd have children."

"Well," said Severus, looking like he was thinking hard. "If you conceive in the next few weeks you will most probably give birth in the early summer. It would be practical to have several months of free time after the child arrives."

"I didn't mean right now," said Hermione, surprised. "I just meant, you know, for future reference."

"Ah," said Severus looking a bit embarrassed. "Do you - _want_ children with me?"

Hermione looked at Severus. His black eyes were fixed on her and he looked very serious.

"Well, you are my husband," said Hermione sarcastically. "You would be the logical choice." He gave her a look she couldn't decipher.

Severus gazed down on her speechless. This woman. This infuriating, beautiful, stubborn, bossy, intelligent, competent, compassionate woman, that was brave enough to take his name when anyone else would have turned and fled, wanted his child.

"Well," Severus smirked at her and laid his head back on his pillow. "I would be, wouldn't I? At least Hogwarts would have one competent potions student."

Hermione smacked him and rose from the bed.

"Hermione," Severus said seriously as he sat up. "I can support a family. I never really planned one, but I never planned on getting married either." He began pulling his clothing back on. Hermione watched him. He got to his feet and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't regret getting married."

Hermione gave him a crooked smile.

"Back to work," Severus said pointing at the piles of research material. "I'll go get lunch."

Hermione made a face at him, but went back to her work.

&&

"Hello, Severus," said Remus Lupin as Severus walked through the portal to the kitchens. "How are the fish biting this fine Sunday?"

"I couldn't tell you," said Severus a little stiffly. No matter how hard he tried he could never really be comfortable in the presence of the werewolf. "Hermione had other plans."

Remus chuckled.

"Maybe I should have taken advantage of that law and gotten myself a young wife," he mused. Severus brushed past him and opened the door to a cooling cupboard.

"More trouble than its worth sometimes." Severus picked a basket off a shelf and placed a couple of apples in it.

"Wearing you out, is she?" Remus grinned wolfishly as he brought a mug to his lips.

"She is not wearing me out!" Severus exploded suddenly. "We are two perfectly capable adults!"

Remus was quiet and appraised Severus for a few moments. "Do you want to talk about it?" He reached into the inside pocket of his robes and brought out a small flask.

Severus poured himself a mug of pumpkin juice and held it out to Remus. Remus poured a healthy dollop of an amber liquid into Severus' mug. Severus took a deep drink and sat quietly for a moment.

"She wants a child," said Severus. "Perhaps more."

"Right now?" Remus asked, looking mildly surprised.

"Well," Severus hesitated. "No."

"Then what are you worried about?" Remus asked drinking from his mug. "She's a young bride, Severus. Of course she's thinking about babies."

"I suppose you're right," Severus said lifting his mug to his lips. "At least she doesn't want one now."

"I take it you don't want children, then," Remus said.

"I-" Severus started awkwardly. "I never thought I'd have the opportunity."

"She might even change her mind when she gets older," said Remus slowly.

"Not that I'm entirely opposed," Severus said as if Remus had stayed silent. "I just hadn't given it much thought."

"It looks as if she's giving you time to think," said Remus. "At least a couple years warning. Sensible girl."

Severus drained his mug and stood up.

"She always is," said Severus as he finished packing their lunch.

&&

"What took so long?" Hermione asked as she looked up, her face appearing between stacks of scrolls.

"Lupin was in the kitchens," said Severus.

Hermione waved her wand and the scrolls cleared from the table to a corner of the room. Severus set the basket on the table.

"Why didn't you ask him to join us?" Hermione asked opening the basket and unpacking it.

"I didn't know if you'd be dressed," said Severus. "It's a pleasant day and light is spilling onto the bed. You might have decided to take in some sun."

"Not a half bad idea," said Hermione who had slipped into casual red cotton robes. "I might think of that in the future."

A large black barn owl landed on the open window sill with a scroll attached to a leg. His feathers ruffled loudly at his landing. Severus looked at it and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Severus shook his head. "That's a Black family owl. It must be from Harry. It just – surprised me."

Hermione had never spoken to Severus of Sirius. She wondered if it would be appropriate. She decided if he wanted to talk about it she would by all means let him, but she didn't know his limits and didn't want to find out just now.

"I wonder where Hedwig is?" Hermione frowned as she walked to the window. To her surprise the handwriting wasn't Harry's.

_Dear Hermione and Professor Snape, __  
__Harry is holding a secret celebration at his house next weekend. It's Friday night at 9: PM so you won't be missed at dinner.__  
__Hope all is well with you.__  
__Sincerely, __  
__Neville_

"He just bounces back, doesn't he?" Severus chuckled as he shook his head. He was reading over Hermione's shoulder.

"Must get it from his grandmother," Hermione said folding the letter. "Are we going?"

"I can't imagine you not going," Severus sighed. "Are you making me go?"

"I couldn't fathom making you do something you didn't want to do," Hermione said with a grin. "At least not without me ending up miserable."

"Good to see you applying that intellect of yours," Severus said turning back to the table and his half finished sandwich.

"So I'm going by myself?" Hermione asked as she dug in the basket and came up with an apple.

"Unless you insist I go," said Severus. He desperately wished he didn't have to attend.

"Fine," said Hermione. "I will go to a fabulous party and you'll sulk around the dungeon."

"Smashing," said Severus picking his fishing pole up. He kissed her on the cheek and climbed out her window.

&&

"Hermione!" Ginny crowed across the room as Hermione stepped through the fireplace into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Hermione was about 20 minutes late due to a fight between a fourth year Gryffindor and a second year Slytherin. It had taken both councilors to diffuse the situation.

Hermione waved at Ginny, not wanting to shout over the noise filling the room. Fred and George ran up to meet her, pumping her arm as they shook her hand and shoving a bottle of Butterbeer at her.

"Where's that man of yours?" Fred joked.

"You expect him to crawl out of his dungeons to enjoy himself?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows raised.

"A snob is what he is," said George grinning and shaking his head. "Doesn't want to sully himself with the presence of us."

"Oh stop it," said Hermione. "He's not as bad as that."

"Heya, Hermione," an excited voice said behind her. She turned to face Harry.

The uncanny thing was his face still looked the same. He just looked as if he had drawn on his face and put Muggle contact lenses in. He hugged her heartily.

"How are you, Harry?" Hermione asked, a little hesitant.

"Drunk," said Harry with a solid nod. Hermione looked at the twins and they nodded as well. She sighed.

The flames behind her leapt up green and crackled. She stepped aside as Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall entered the kitchen.

"Well it looks as if the party is already in full swing," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "Excellent."

"And where is Severus, Hermione?" McGonagall asked.

"Take a wild guess," Hermione asked as she rolled her eyes.

"He's left her to us tonight," said Fred.

"He's a brave man," said Dumbledore as he took a Butterbeer from George. He sipped from it and instantly turned into a small shrub. The bottle fell to the floor and broke.

"You're a braver man to take something from them," said McGonagall said, raising a single eyebrow at the shrub.

"Well that was unexpected," said Luna Lovegood in a dreamy voice as she floated up to them.

"It certainly was," said Fred scratching his head. "He was supposed to turn into a meter tall chicken."

"Wonder where we went wrong," said George pulling a notebook out of his robes and jotting down something in it.

Dumbledore reappeared in front of them, his hat askew and tilted low over his eyes. He was frowning.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Dumbledore asked, straightening himself.

"Nope," said Harry. "Could you hear us?"

"Of course not," Dumbledore said. "Plants don't have ears."

"Interesting," George muttered as he scribbled furiously.

"You were supposed to turn into a chicken," said Luna dreamily.

"A chicken?" asked Dumbledore.

"A big chicken," said Fred absentmindedly as he read what George had written down. Fred jotted a few notes of his own and gave the book back to George.

"Much more dignified than a small chicken," said Hermione aside to Luna, who nodded.

Ron clanged a spoon against the side of a heavy goblet across the room he climbed onto the kitchen table and turned to look at them. As everyone quieted down it gave Hermione an opportunity to see who else was there.

Neville was standing in a far corner with his grandmother. She was straightening the front of his black robes and one of his hands rested on a gold cane. The handle looked like the head of a phoenix.

Tonks stood nearby talking to Arthur Weasley. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood behind him listening to Molly and nodding. Hermione watched Mundungus Fletcher shuffle into the room. She shivered at the thought of being paired up with him.

People she didn't know lined the walls and Hermione wondered how many people were in the Order.

"First, we have to address the matter of the banishment of You-Know-Who by our dear comrade, Harry Potter," Ron said loudly. The crowd cheered and raised their glasses to Harry who blushed and said thank you.

"Second, we have to give him points for style. Not everyone could save the world and get himself drafted for the Hornets in one day," said Ron, nearly dancing with excitement.

"Congratulations, Harry," shouted Hermione over the cheering.

"We also have to thank the Longbottoms who have given all they could and more," said Ron, his voice getting fuller as the crowd encouraged him. Hermione was stunned. She could see him behind a podium, motivating a nation. "May their line stay true."

Neville looked embarrassed but his grandmother beamed.

Ron went on to thank numerous people, most of whom Hermione didn't know. The crowd had toasted so much they were undoubtedly drunk by the time Ron dropped his bombshell.

"We can't forget my dad, who worked inside the Ministry against You-Know-Who," said Ron. "In the face of adversity he never faltered and this is why today he was voted Minister of Magic by an emergency squad called by the Ministry."

Hermione's jaw dropped as thunderous clapping and whistling filled the kitchen. Arthur was hauled onto the table to take a bow.

"Now we all have to vote for him when the Ministry can call a proper election to make sure he stays there," reminded Neville, yelling over the din.

Arthur waved his hands and the crowd quieted down.

"Now, what was done couldn't have happened without the help of everyone involved," said Arthur smiling.

Hermione felt a little guilty. She and Severus didn't really do much at all. Remus seemed to think the Amazonian prophecy would be valuable and pointed out she retrieved Dumbledore and the Amazons. That was a valuable contribution, but she still didn't get to see any of the battle itself, really. She felt slightly cheated.

Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder and Dumbledore was motioning her into another room. His Butterbeer was gone and he was holding a mug of what looked like mead. She slipped through a few people and followed him.

Once in the other room he closed the door. It muffled the racket from the kitchen and gave them a bit of privacy.

"I believe Ron has found his calling," Dumbledore chuckled. "What a noise."

"He's always been good at motivating people," said Hermione. "Learned it from Lee Jordan."

"Would you like something a little more adult, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked as he walked to a chest. He opened it to reveal a small bar. The bottles were tiny, but Hermione suspected they would pour out much more than they appeared to be able to hold.

"Is this serious, sir?" Hermione asked, fidgeting. She really wished at that moment that Severus had decided to join her. Or Harry. Or Ron. Anyone, actually, she really felt put on the spot.

Dumbledore turned around with a goblet of a thick looking red liquid in it. He handed it to her and a thick fruity smell wafted up to her when she smelled it.

"Plum wine," Dumbledore said. "I believe you'll like it."

The room they had entered been redone. The last time Hermione had seen it the floor had been bare, the walls stained and dingy, tattered furniture had littered the corners of the room and the window had been cracked.

Now the room was clean, the floors swept and the walls repainted a light brown. The window was shuttered tightly from the inside and a new brown chair and loveseat beaconed invitingly from one corner. A low table sat near the loveseat and a bookshelf near the chair.

Hermione examined the bookshelf and was amused to see it was filled with books on Quidditch strategy and various catalogs for Quidditch supplies.

She sat in the chair and took a drink of her wine. She realized she should have sat on the loveseat, but Dumbledore didn't seem to mind and even reclined on it, looking very relaxed.

"Hermione, do you know anything about Nordic legends?" Dumbledore asked.

"Which one?" Hermione asked, taking another sip. "There are quite a few."

"Are you familiar with Heimdall?" Dumbledore asked.

"Guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge," said Hermione. "Let Loki trot across into Aesgard: realm of the gods. Created three races of man: Serfs, peasants and warriors."

"In a nutshell," said Dumbledore. "So you aware that he was reported to be able to and did manage to breed and create a bloodline."

"Yes," said Hermione. She supposed this was information she was supposed to report to the Amazons.

"The Jotun gave this to Lexi," said Dumbledore pulling a small black wooden box out of his robes. "It belongs to you. She never opened it and doesn't know what it is."

Hermione reached out and took the box. It had a simple latch on it and she opened it. Dumbledore watched as a light emanated from the box and decorated her face with multi-colored lights.

"Did you open the box?" Hermione asked.

"I did," said Dumbledore slowly. "Not to pry, but the Jotun are notorious for having a-," Dumbledore seemed to be searching for a word. "Curious sense of humor."

Hermione felt a chill pass through her.

In her hands lay the open box. The inside was lined with brown leather and a gold chain lay in it. From the chain a pendant dangled, made of something Hermione had never seen before.

It was fashioned into a lacy three dimensional pattern. The material was almost translucent, but flashed multiple colors throughout the body of the material very quickly letting off a decent amount of light. As Hermione pulled it out she spotted a small leather pouch at the bottom of the box. It looked as if it was meant to go over the pendant so it wasn't blinding at all times.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"A piece of Bifrost," said Dumbledore.

"What?" Hermione breathed.

"When Ragnarok took place the bridge was shattered," said Dumbledore. "What is left is the Aurora Borealis."

"This is a piece of the sky?" Hermione breathed.

"This is a part of the bridge that was broken off and forged when it was still corporeal," said Dumbledore.

"Incredible," said Hermione as she slipped the leather pouch over the pendant and tied it tightly. She slid the chain around her neck and placed it under her robes. "Why did they give it to me?"

"One of the Jotun insisted it belonged to you," said Dumbledore slowly.

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked, draining her goblet. Dumbledore refilled it for her.

"Some Vikings were descended from Heimdall," explained Dumbledore. "Apparently one of them- created a child with one of your grandmothers."

Hermione was silent, but once again drained her goblet. When Dumbledore refilled it, his bottle poured out water.

"That must have been over fifteen hundred years ago," said Hermione. "I'm sure there are thousands of descendents of Vikings throughout Britain by now."

"Apparently one of the Jotun was instantly drawn to you," said Dumbledore. "Mithrax is a historian among his kind and was taken by how much you looked like a silver bust of Heimdall he has a record of."

"Just because I look like someone doesn't mean I'm related," said Hermione.

"He took a sample hair off your robes when you were injured in the blast," said Dumbledore, refilling his own mug with the bottle he held in his hand. "When his test came back as he suspected he finally had someone to return this artifact to."

"Should I be wearing it?" Hermione asked.

"It is your right to wear it," Dumbledore said. "The chain will never tarnish or break and the shard itself holds great power only you can learn."

Hermione fingered the pendant through her robes and shook her head.

"I will of course want to see any notes you take in your research," said Dumbledore. "Not much is known about it."

"Of course," Hermione echoed faintly. She placed the box in her pocket.

"As far as Mithrax can tell it makes a wonderful source of light in the dark," said Dumbledore.

Hermione nodded. Part of her wondered if it did anything besides make light.

Suddenly the door flew open and Harry and Ron burst in.

"Didn't like my speech?" Ron laughed as he took a deep drink from his mug. Hermione knew it was full of Butterbeer.

"It was wonderful," said Hermione, smiling at him.

"Truly inspirational, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore raising his mug.

"You'll do us proud, yet," said Harry laughing.

Ron turned red, but smiled at them. The door suddenly darkened behind them.

"Hello, Hagrid," said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"'Allo," said Hagrid, a mug the size of a small barrel in his hands. Hermione had never seen him in Grimmauld place and watched him duck through the door frame. She thanked the powers that be for Victorian ceiling height. "Sorry I'm late. Had a bit of trouble with the Augureys. Got into a cage of pixies."

"We're glad to have you," said Harry, smiling and turning to face him.

It was apparent from Hagrid's expression that he hadn't seen Harry since his transformation. The color drained from his face. He took a step backwards and hit his head on the portion of wall above the door he had to duck into to enter the room.

"Ow!" said Hagrid, rubbing his head and regaining his composure. "Sorry Harry. Quite a look you've got there."

"I know," said Harry, sighing. "I wonder if I could get away with wearing a veil and sunglasses at all times."

"Probably could," said Hermione. "I've seen stranger."

"People will get used to your appearance, Harry," said Dumbledore. "It will just take time for them to adapt."

"Especially when the new Quidditch season starts," said Ron excitedly.

"People can overlook anything when Quidditch is involved," said Hermione. "Look at Bagman. The people just let him go and he turned out to be Voldemorts most devoted servant."

Ron and Hagrid flinched.

"Oh, really," said Hermione testily. She took the bottle from Dumbledore and it poured out more plum wine. As she suspected, it poured whatever the pourer desired as long as it was stocked in the bar. "He's dead."

"It never did anything anyway," said Harry. "It started as a story to frighten small children and ran out of control."

Dumbledore shook his head and rose from the loveseat.

"I imagined as much," he said. "Now, let's not be so elitist and join the rest of the party."

Hermione was delighted to meet the other operatives in the Order. She had no idea so many of them had been deep undercover.

She finally got an opportunity to talk to Neville, who said he'd be in touch and would like to speak to her. He still had a limp, but the healers said he would get over it in a few weeks as he grew stronger. His hip had been broken in the blast and his inactivity made the muscles grow weak.

Phineas Nigellus watched the whole thing imperiously from a picture of a farmhouse.

Molly had cornered Hermione and interrogated her about her life with Severus. Hermione embarrassedly explained she had grown fond of Severus and although she knew her options, she had no intention of getting the marriage disillusioned. Molly had seemed satisfied with that answer and bemoaned the fact that Hermione had never had a bridal shower.

Parvati Goyle, who had arrived even later than Hermione, had overheard and agreed that she had gotten one, although thrown together haphazardly. It was a shame Hermione had missed out and agreed with Molly to make plans.

Hermione tried to protest, but Molly and Parvati insisted all the bride had to do was show up. They would make all the arrangements. She finally gave in and the women said they'd contact Hermione for her opinion on small details.

After a few hours and many toasts later Hermione finally threw a handful of floo powder into the fire and made her way back home.

"Well, hello," said Severus as she staggered slightly through the fireplace in their receiving room. Helga Hufflepuff sat snoring quietly in her frame and Crookshanks lay curled up sleeping near Severus on the couch. It looked like he was grading first year scrolls. "How was the secret party?"

"I had a wonderful time," said Hermione. "With the exception of being talked into a belated bridal shower."

"I hope that's not something I have to take part in," he frowned seriously.

"Not at all," said Hermione sighing. "I'm the only one that has to take part and all I have to really do is show up and choose the food."

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Severus. "They are all people you enjoy the company of."

Hermione nodded. He was right, of course. She was becoming too consumed with her job and becoming a hermit.

"There were a few important announcements as well," continued Hermione as she flopped on the couch near him.

"How much have you been drinking?" Severus asked, sniffing her.

"I don't know, but I blame it all on Ron and Dumbledore," said Hermione, leading her head back and staring at the ceiling. The light fixture seemed to be wobbling slightly.

Severus shook his head and ticked something off on a parchment with a red quill.

"So what were these important announcements?" Severus asked.

Harry's been drafted by the Hornets and Mr. Weasley's the new Minister of Magic," said Hermione wobbling her head slightly so the fixture was moving in a figure eight pattern.

"Really?" Severus asked, frowning. Hermione looked up and felt dizzy.

"What's wrong with that?" Hermione asked.

"Has the manager of the Hornets seen Harry on person since the battle?" Severus asked.

"I- I don't know," Hermione said honestly.

"Don't be disappointed if he changes his mind, Hermione," Severus said, he looked up at her and his face looked grim.

Hermione nodded, already feeling the pangs of disappointment. Crookshanks nudged her and purred deeply. She scratched his ears as he pushed his head into her hand.

She felt her eyes grow tired and she closed them for a moment to rest them.

She never felt her husband enchant her body to float to her bedroom and change into her bedclothes. He tucked her in with a kiss and left Crookshanks with her to get some rest.

He was glad he had a small supply of morning after potions. He was sure she'd need one tomorrow.


	19. Chapter 19

Harry, Ron, Neville, and Gregory Goyle lingered in what was now Harry's den after the Order of the Phoenix celebration party. Neville leaned against a fireplace while Ron and Gregory sat on a brown leather loveseat. Harry opened a bottle of champagne at the bar, although Ron stuck with his Butterbeer. After a disastrous evening with a bottle of Firewhisky his sixth year, Ron had lost his taste for hard alcohol.

"To the future of the Wizarding World," said Harry, raising his glass. The others followed and drank.

"Harry," Gregory said looking very nervous. "I- I want to ask you something."

"What?" Harry asked. His green slitted eyes opened wide in curiosity. Gregory was usually very quiet and never really talked to Harry directly. He was here at the invitation of Neville, who had forgiven Gregory for his past, considering he had pulled through when they had needed him.

"Do you know what happened to my father?" Gregory asked.

Harry was quiet for a moment. Normally, given his new appearance this would have been chilling, but his gaze flicked to Ron and his face looked sad.

"I'm sorry," said Harry. "Your father was killed after you switched sides."

Gregory nodded and drained his goblet. He refilled it and drained it again.

"Keep doing that and you're going to have a hell of a headache tomorrow," said Ron quietly.

"He ran and was hit in the back," said Harry. "He never suffered at all," he added as if this would make Gregory feel better.

Gregory nodded. He knew his father was probably dead. Knowing he never suffered, although he may have deserved it did make him feel a little better about being the reason for his father's death.

"If it makes you feel better," Harry said. "Voldemort was just looking for an excuse. If it hadn't been you it would have been something else."

"Thought he didn't need an excuse," snorted Neville, sipping at his goblet.

"Not a good idea to randomly off devoted followers because their personalities annoy you," said Harry. "Ruins morale."

There was a moment of silence before they all began laughing.

"Ruins morale?" Ron laughed.

"He learned after the first time when half his followers renounced him," said Harry.

"Suppose it makes sense, strategically," said Neville. "Hey, Harry," he said realization dawning on him. "Will you help me study for my auror exam?"

"Sure," said Harry, surprised. "I bet I'd be a lot of use to the aurors, myself."

"Might want to rethink that Quidditch career," joked Neville.

The room fell silent.

"I was just kidding," Neville mumbled. "Sheesh."

"Change of subject," said Harry. "Hermione looked well tonight."

"Marriage suits her," said Gregory. "Glad she didn't get mixed in with the Malfoys. That would have been nothing but trouble."

"Did Draco want her?" Ron said, surprised.

"His father wanted her," Gregory said.

"What?" Harry said, shocked.

"Would have thought you knew that," Gregory said.

"Not a clue," said Harry, taking a seat in a chair that matched the couch. He put his feet on the low table in front of him. "How could he take a second wife?"

"I have two wives," said Gregory, blushing. "More trouble than its worth, sometimes."

"What!" Neville dropped his goblet.

Ron began to snicker.

"Padma was going to be married off as well," Gregory spluttered. "Pavarti begged me to petition for her. They let me because of 'cultural something-or-other.'"

Neville raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"Hey, do you ever get them to-," Ron began.

"No," Gregory said firmly.

"No?" asked Neville. "You don't want to?"

"Of course I do," Gregory said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just not suicidal enough to ask for it and it hasn't been offered."

"Yeah," said Ron. "Good idea. After a few years you'll probably get it."

Gregory shrugged.

"Snape took Hermione to the ballet," Ron said sadly.

"Oh, come off it Ron," said Harry. "You could have asked her out _once_ in seven years."

"You never asked her out at all?" Gregory asked.

"Asked her to the Yule Ball," muttered Ron.

"Only after you couldn't get anyone else," snorted Neville. "I asked her before you did."

Ron just turned red as Gregory looked at him.

"Well, I didn't see you with anyone at the Yule Ball," said Ron to Gregory, testily.

"Wanted to go with Hermione," said Gregory. "Couldn't ask out a Gryffindor, and certainly not her. She probably would have spit in my face."

"Good point," said Harry. "The twins ended up with those guys from Beauxbatons, didn't they?"

Gregory nodded, smiling. "Padma still writes to Pierre. He and Oliver adopted a girl a few months ago."

"You mean they were- ?" Ron asked, his face screwed up.

"Yea," said Gregory, chuckling. "Knew the girls couldn't fool around because of their religion and they made 'damn good accessories,' as Oliver put it."

"We got dumped for a couple of poofs," Ron said to Harry.

"Considering I wanted to be there with Cho, I don't really care," said Harry, playing with his glass.

"What did Lucius want with Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Use her as a pawn to get to Harry," said Gregory.

"Pathetic," said Harry, coldly. The other young men were a little chilled at his tone.

"Well, she ended up with someone obviously fond of her," said Ron firmly, to everyone's surprise.

"Didn't think you'd ever approve," said Neville.

"He didn't leave her when she was in Mungo's," said Ron, looking glum. "Practically lived there for weeks."

"So did you," pointed out Gregory.

"I had a reason to," said Ron. "Practically everyone was there for the week after the battle. All I did was get banged on the head."

"How is Ginny doing?" asked Neville abruptly. "I didn't really get to talk to her."

"Well, I think," said Ron. "At least Hermione can keep an eye on her at school. She hasn't said a word to anyone about the battle."

"She's never been one to brag," said Neville. "You didn't even know she could fly until half the team got banned."

"Good point," said Ron.

Harry stayed silent and sipped his drink.

&&

Ginny lay silent in her bed, listening to her roommates sleep.

Tom was dead, and she didn't know how she felt about the whole thing.

She was certainly startled when she saw Harry for the first time, but she had never seen Tom out of school, only his memory of himself.

She never knew if Tom had ever realized as he sucked the life out of her in the Chamber she could see bits and pieces of his memory as she tired. He might not have cared, thinking she would die, but he was sure to have sought her out if she knew she had seen him at his most vulnerable.

She knew why he had turned into the evil monster Voldemort was. She saw. She knew. Worst of all, she understood and had forgiven him.

Harry thought he had it bad at the Dursleys. He never knew, but she was sure he did now.

Tom's days of being another drone at the orphanage during the summer. The requests to stay at the school over the holidays denied year after year.

The nights when the older boys would stuff dirty rags in his mouth so no one would hear him scream. His body screaming in pain as he forced it to walk normally so no one would know he was weak. Weakness could get you singled out.

All because he couldn't wield his wand. Why? Because the balance would be upset and the Muggles could find out about the Wizarding World. The precious Muggles, always needing to be sheltered from reality. Who would shelter him from them? No one.

Did this make Ginny horrible? That she understood? That she sympathized with the monster?

Her family would never understand. Could never understand. No one could.

Well, maybe one other could.

Ginny quietly swung her feet out of bed and felt them hit her dorm room floor. She slid into her slippers and reached for her robe.

As she made her way to the common room she wondered if he would think she was crazy. No matter, it had to be done.

Ginny sat up writing until the first rays of sun started filtering through the windows. When her letter was done she dressed quickly and made her way to the owlery.

When she got back she met up with some of her classmates and went to breakfast. Afterwards she took a very long nap.

&&

"Does Ginny look all right to you?" Hermione whispered to Severus during breakfast Saturday morning.

"Very tired," said Severus. "I'm guessing she was there last night as well."

"True," said Hermione. "She probably stayed up all night with the twins."

&&

Harry ripped open the envelope from the Hogwarts owl after giving her an owl treat.

He skimmed the letter from Ginny and sighed. It was about time she wanted to talk. A Hogsmede weekend was coming up and she wanted to meet. It was about time he got out, anyway.

&&

A raven flew through Hermione's window one morning and let out a piercing cry.

As Hermione rubbed her eyes she heard Crookshanks meow piteously. Her eyes opened and she saw her mother-in-law transforming from her animagius form. Anastasia scratched Crookshanks ears and he began purring loudly. She spelled light yellow robes and gold jewelry on.

"Hello," said Hermione, a little startled.

"You do not share a bedroom with Severus?" Anastasia asked, frowning.

"He snores," said Hermione reaching out to give Crookshanks a pat.

"Use the Bubble-Head Charm in conjunction with a silencing charm," said Anastasia. "It will save you many sleepless nights."

"Don't tell her that," Severus said, padding into the room. "She'll do it whenever she doesn't want to listen to me."

"It works for that as well," said Anastasia, smiling at Hermione.

"I could hear you all the way across our quarters," said Severus, rubbing his unshaven face. "Must you be so loud in the morning, mother?"

"It is the only way to get you awake," said Anastasia.

"I'm awake," said Severus. "The whole castle may be up now."

"Don't exaggerate," Anastasia said dismissively.

Severus waved a hand at her and left the room. Momentarily he returned with the tea service and began pouring cups.

"Your father and I were thinking," started Anastasia. Severus rolled his eyes behind his mothers back. "Since you didn't get to visit during the summer, you should come visit us for Christmas."

"I think we can probably do that," said Hermione slowly as she tried not to scowl at Severus, who was miming hanging himself behind Anastasia. "I had hoped to see my parents, as well."

"They would be more that welcome to join us," said Anastasia. Severus stopped misbehaving and looked impressed. "We are family now."

Hermione still hadn't told her parents she and Severus had a consummated marriage. She wondered how she was going to tell them without her father trying to kill her husband.

"I'll owl my parents this afternoon," said Hermione, taking a cup of tea from Severus.

"Does father know you're here?" Severus asked, curiously.

"I told him I was going flying," said Anastasia, avoiding the subject.

"When?" Severus frowned. "Last night? It must have taken you hours to get here from France."

"I apperated part of the way," said Anastasia, defensively. "I can just floo back."

"Why didn't you floo here?" asked Hermione.

"Because then father would know she was jaunting all over the countryside to corner me into coming for Christmas," Severus said making a face at his mother. She sipped her tea and smiled at him.

"He was always such a little genius," said Anastasia. "Never could trick him, never."

"Your plans were never very good," said Severus sipping his tea.

Anastasia turned and smacked him.

"I have had just about enough of you," Anastasia said sharply. Then she rattled on in Russian at him and he turned pink.

Hermione smirked into her tea.

Finally Anastasia stopped with a firm nod. Severus sighed in resignation. Obviously, he knew enough Russian to recognize when he was in trouble.

"We'll be seeing you the first day of your winter break, then," said Anastasia with a smile to Hermione.

Hermione smiled weakly and nodded.

Anastasia turned to her son and pulled him down to her height so she could kiss him. Then she ruffled his hair and kissed him again. He hugged her and allowed himself a small smile of resignation at Hermione.

France for Christmas, it was.


	20. Chapter 20

"It didn't happen to me, Ginny," said Harry.

They sat in the Three Broomsticks drinking Butterbeers on a weekend where Ginny could visit Hogsmede. Harry wore something that looked like a green silk ski mask and a pair of shaded goggles. Ginny said it made him look like a color-challenged bee. She could still see his mouth and he grinned at her.

"It's a part of you, Harry," said Ginny. "More than it's a part of me, and I know how much a part of me it is."

"I know," said Harry. "But it didn't happen to me. It was a long time ago and happened to someone else."

"I can still taste that filthy rag," said Ginny, shuddering.

"So can I," said Harry, sipping his Butterbeer.

"How could you live like that?" Ginny asked.

"The Dursleys were never like that," said Harry. "They certainly weren't pleasant, but my Uncle never beat me. He may have threatened to and he shoved me, but he never hurt me. Dudley beat me when we were small, but he hasn't really done anything but throw insults at me in years."

"How could his father just leave him?" Ginny asked. "Just- gone."

"He got what he deserved," said Harry darkly. "I don't care what anyone says. He got what he deserved."

"I agree," said Ginny firmly.

Tom Riddle senior had pleaded for his life, thinking he was talking to an annoyed male member of his former wife's family. He never even knew the hand that killed him was his own son's.

"Hello, Ginny," came a familiar voice from behind them. It sounded a little worried.

"Hello, Hermione," Harry said cheerfully.

"Harry?" Hermione asked quietly. When he nodded firmly she slipped into the booth with them. "What are you doing here?"

"Meeting Ginny for a drink," said Harry. "Would you like a Butterbeer?"

Madame Rosmerta thunked a bottle down on the heavy wooden table as she passed.

"That's service," Ginny said, impressed.

Harry opened Hermiones bottle and handed it to her.

"Thanks," said Hermione, taking a drink from the bottle.

"So, where's that husband of yours?" Harry asked.

"Come out and enjoy himself?" Hermione said, shocked. "When there are dungeons to skulk about in? You must be thinking of someone else."

Ginny giggled and Harry shook his head.

"You really do look like a bee, you know," said Hermione.

"I know," said Harry. "It's for everyone's good. If I took this off it would be pandemonium."

"Good evening, Miss Weasley, Madame Snape," Professor McGonagall's face turned stern. "Mr. Potter," she said much quieter.

"Hello, Professor," the three teenagers echoed. Harry shifted uncomfortably.

To Hermione's surprise McGonagall slid into the booth with them.

"Mr. Potter," said McGonagall seriously. "I thought we were going to keep your appearance under wraps, as it were, until further notice."

"He is wrapped, Professor," piped up Ginny.

"I really have seen stranger in here," said Hermione, cringing.

She knew Harry was tired of staying at home and the public had to get used to him sooner or later. On the other hand, this may not be the right time to unveil his new look.

"Gillywater, Professor?" Madame Rosmerta asked.

"Yes, please," said McGonagall. "Small, dear."

Rosmerta bustled off to retrieve McGonagall's drink and those at the table leaned in.

"Ginny's father says the Hornets plan on announcing you to their lineup a week before Halloween," said McGonagall. "A small picture of you will be with the other team members."

"So that's what the meeting is about tomorrow," said Harry. "They asked me what size robes I required."

"This will get the public used to your appearance before the Halloween Festival," said McGonagall.

Hermione nodded silently.

"You might want to run it in the same issue as another interview with Harry about his change," said Hermione.

Harry looked at her. At least she assumed he looked at her, his head turned in her direction.

"It's a good idea, Potter," said McGonagall.

Harry sighed.

"I bet Luna would do it again," said Ginny, reaching out a hand to him.

"That might not be too bad," said Harry, slowly.

"You have to think about PR now, Harry," said Hermione.

"PR?" Ginny asked.

"Public relations," said Hermione. "How you can manipulate the media to influence the public's opinion of you."

"Well, that's horrible," said Ginny.

"Horrible it may be," McGonagall said. "But Madame Snape is right. You need to think about these things, Potter."

Colin Creevy suddenly hopped in front of their table and snapped a picture.

"Oh, Colin," Ginny groaned as she was blinded by a bright flash.

"It'll make a great picture," said Colin, adjusting the knobs on his camera.

"I swear one day-," Hermione grumbled under her breath as she blinked blue spots.

"Mr. Creevy, I would ask you to please refrain from assaulting the patrons of this fine establishment with your camera," said Professor McGonagall.

"I second that," said Madame Rosmerta from behind him. She had Professor McGonagall's Gillywater balanced on a tray with several bottles of Butterbeer and a large mug. "Take it outside or put it away."

Colin sulked away as the drinks were served. Harry nodded and three more Butterbeers appeared in front of them.

"Thanks, Harry," said Hermione as he opened her second drink.

"We should stop at Zonko's," said Ginny, after Professor McGonagall had excused herself to a table with Professors Flitwick and Sinistra. "Fred and George said they placed a big order and I want to see how they're selling."

"I don't know," said Hermione.

"Oh come on, Hermione," Harry said. "You're a councilor, not a teacher."

"Still," said Hermione. "Go enjoy yourselves. I'm hitting the candy shop and going back."

After they finished their drinks they parted and Hermione watched as Harry pulled a hood over his head and he made his way through the crowd with Ginny. Whispers followed them and Hermione knew his disguise hadn't fooled anyone. At least no one was running and screaming.

&&

"For a child of dentists you certainly have a sweet tooth," Severus remarked as he nodded at Hermione's bag from Zonko's.

"I don't go out for supplies every week," pointed out Hermione.

"You could come with me," said Severus, running a finger down a column in his grading book. He made a mark near a name and shook his head.

"I might," Hermione said. "What are you doing?"

"Marking the Muggle-bornes," said Severus. "Good idea to keep a close eye on them the first few months. Prevents accidents."

"I saw Harry," Hermione said as she sat on the couch near Severus.

"Really?" Severus said, his eyebrows raised. "Is Hogsmede still standing?"

"It was the last I saw," Hermione said. "He was wearing a face covering and goggles."

"Clever," said Severus dryly. "Did he come up with that idea all on his own?"

Before Hermione could answer, Professor Dumbledore's face appeared in the fireplace.

"I'm going to need you, Hermione," he said quickly.

"What happened?" Severus asked.

"Harry was overwhelmed and unmasked at Zonko's," said Dumbledore. "The results were disastrous."

Hermione and Severus both groaned.

"I'll need these," Hermione said grabbing her bag of sweets.

"Undoubtedly," said Severus as Hermione charged into the green flames.

He shook his head at her as she disappeared. She was going to burn herself out.

&&

Hermione tiptoed into Severus' quarters late, only to find it empty.

Most students had recovered well enough to talk to Harry, who was in Dumbledore's office, apologizing profusely. A few had been truly shaken and had gone to Madame Pomfrey. One girl had been absolutely hysterical. Hermione had stayed with her a long time before Madame Pomfrey gave the girl a sedating potion.

Hermione went into her quarters, where she found Severus sleeping. He looked like he was snoring, but didn't make a sound. She smiled fondly and crawled in beside him.

&&

Severus rose at dawn and looked at Hermione. She usually wore a nightgown, but tonight she hadn't bothered and was just wearing a shirt and her knickers. He estimated she had been asleep a few hours.

He crept out of bed and onto the ledge of her window. With any luck they would have fresh breakfast.

&&

Hermione woke to the smell of fresh fish. She stretched and yawned.

"I hoped to have fresh breakfast for you," said Severus. "You're lucky you slept until noon."

"Not a good day?" Hermione asked.

"Just a late good day," said Severus. "The fish were not cooperating."

"Well, I see they finally surrendered," Hermione said as she rose and went to her table. Salmon, rice, and asparagus waited for her. "Silly fish. Whatever were they thinking?"

Severus caught her forehead with his lips as she walked around the table and handed her a plate.

"Where did you get the grill?" Hermione asked, looking at the cooking device set on a piece of concrete to sink the heat.

"Transfigured it," said Severus. "I figured you'd have my head if I bothered the elves to prepare us a special meal."

"Haven't seen Dobby in quite a while," said Hermione. "He may have liked to join us."

Severus made a face at the idea of dining with a house elf, but stayed silent.

"He's still in Russia," said Severus.

"Still?" Hermione asked as she began eating. "What's he doing that's taking so long?"

Severus looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Severus asked.

"No," said Hermione frowning. "What am I missing?"

Severus delicately explained the mating habits of house elves.

"He's hired himself out for stud services?" Hermione spluttered.

"That's a crude way of putting it," Severus said.

"Well, _really_," said Hermione testily. "He'll return when life is conceived?"

"The litter won't come until summer," Severus said. "The family isn't in Russia. She'll have months of light chores and relaxation. Elves are far tougher than you think."

Litter?" Hermione exclaimed. Hermione thought for a moment and a smile crept across her face.

"I think I'm going to Diagon Alley this afternoon," Hermione said.

"Don't go overboard," said Severus. "I think you need another bookshelf before you get any more books."

"I'll keep it in mind," said Hermione.

&&

Dobby was helping Zemlyaa prune the roses in the courtyard of the Snape Russian Estate when he saw a Hogwarts owl swoop overhead with a package. He quickly finished the bush he was working on and darted to the kitchens. His bare feet slapped along the brick path as the house loomed closer and he scuttled through the elf sized door.

Sloozhanka and Cherv stood on a dark wooden chair reading the label to a long thin package sitting on the heavy wooden table.

"It is for Dobby," Sloozhanka said brightly to Dobby.

"Dobby saw a Hogwarts owl in the yard," said Dobby excitedly. "Dobby was hoping his friends would be writing to him!"

Sloozhanka handed Dobby the package, which he tore into instantly. A dark mahogany box lay inside with an 'O' embellished into the wood. He opened it carefully.

The other elves saw tears start to slide down Dobby's face.

"Dobby's first wand," Dobby said reverently, lifting it carefully out of the box. "Dobby _never_ thought he'd see the day."

&&

On a day near Halloween, a dark blue square envelope dropped in front of Hermione during breakfast. It was addressed to Master and Madame Snape in gold calligraphy.

Severus watched the delivery owl flutter out of the Great Hall.

"I'm guessing it's another celebration at Potters," said Severus, sniffing and beginning to fill his plate.

Hermione opened the letter to find that was exactly what it was.

"It says you're expected this time," said Hermione, reading a pale purple letter enclosed with the invitation. To her surprise it was in Nevilles handwriting.

"That's nice," said Severus reaching for his goblet of juice.

"It would be nice if you went once," said Hermione, a little annoyed. "You have free reign to be morose and sulky. Then no one would ask you again and you won't slight anyone."

"I'm not slighting Potter," Severus said, taking a bite of bacon. "I'm not slighting anyone. I don't think anyone really expects me to show up."

"Then they were faking it awfully well," said Hermione testily as she reached for a plate of eggs.

"We would love to have you, Severus," said Dumbledore, making both of them jump as he leaned over, between them. "There are enough rooms at Harry's that you can retreat if you aren't feeling particularly social."

Severus grumbled a reply into his eggs. Dumbledore smiled at Hermione and retrieved a pot of marmalade she wasn't using.

"Nosy old goat," Severus mumbled as Dumbledore made his way back to his seat. He glanced at Hermione at stopped grumbling at the sight of her frown.

"Just think about it," Hermione said, pushing her chair back.

He nodded once, but didn't look very open-minded.

&&

Ginny folded the letter from Harry and looked at the head table. She slipped it into her book bag as she watched Hermione and Severus talk. Dumbledore startled them and grinned as he walked to his seat.

Dumbledore knew, Dumbledore had to know. How else was she to get to the ceremony on Halloween?

Then again, she would probably be included in the ceremony anyway. Why would Harry confer with Dumbledore before asking to escort her?

&&

"Madame Snape?" A dreamy voice called out behind Hermione in the corridor outside the Great Hall.

"Oh," Hermione said, skidding to a stop on the stone floor. She had no idea she was walking so fast. Perhaps it was because she was getting used to matching Severus' long stride. Perhaps it was because she always felt as if she was a little behind in her office work. "Hello, Luna."

"Did you see the Quibbler this morning?" Luna asked.

"No," Hermione said stiffly. Luna knew very well Hermione didn't think much of the paper her father edited. "I can't say I did."

"Well," said Luna in that same far-away voice. "You might want to look at it. It has an exclusive about the new Hornets lineup."

"How many students get the Quibbler?" asked Hermione. If she was going to have to deal with chaos she wanted to have some idea of how quickly it was going to spread.

"Five," said Luna, reaching into her robes and handing Hermione a copy. "Not counting this one."

"Thank you," said Hermione, sincerely.

"No problem," said Luna, smiling slightly.

&&

Severus walked to his quarters after his last class of the day. Not one detention today. He would have to clean the cauldrons himself and the Second Years were learning sticking potions. He was in a foul mood.

"You hush!" Helga Hufflepuff hissed at him as he stormed into his quarters.

"I beg your pardon," Severus said, frowning at the elderly witch in a portrait.

"She has had a terrible day and going to have a worse night," Helga whispered loudly.

"Undoubtedly," Severus said, feeling slightly guilty for being so annoyed at something so trivial in his day. "That damned picture."

"It had to be revealed," said Helga. "The Potter boy could not hide indefinitely."

Severus murmured the word that would close the entrance to Hermione's rooms. He sat on the couch and conjured himself a sandwich.

"How could one miscast spell could cause so many, so much misery, for so many years?" Severus mused as he took a bite.

"How could one foolish idea cause so many, so much misery?" Helga remarked from the portrait. "Even one as bright as you fell."

Severus raised his eyebrows and nodded as he ate his sandwich. Severus saw a flicker of green in the fireplace and it caught his attention.

"Severus?" Dumbledore's head said from the fireplace.

"She's sleeping," Severus said, stiffly. "She needs her rest."

"Of course she does," Dumbledore said, stepping through the flames. "Madame Pomfrey is concerned, herself."

Looking at Severus' sandwich, Dumbledore waved his wand. Small trays of food appeared on the low table usually reserved for grading scrolls.

"She won't be disturbed tonight," Dumbledore continued, reaching out for a plate of pork buns. "Blaise seems to have it under control."

Severus nodded as he reached for a bowl of chicken legs.

&&

Hermione woke to a bright light in her eyes. She moaned and turned over to have the light blink out. She frowned and opened her eyes.

The leather pouch had come loose from her pendant and slipped off in her sleep. When she rolled over on it the light had been blocked. It stayed cool to the touch, although it seemed to burn brightly. Hermione really didn't need to turn on the lights to find the missing pouch, the shard let off so much light.

"Blimey," she muttered as she looked around her room. It wasn't illuminated well, but she could easily see. As her gaze went back to the shard it dimmed slightly so it wouldn't blind her. Her brain started working.

&&

Severus rose and walked into his receiving room sleepily. Hermione seemed to be having an animated conversation with the fireplace.

"Professor, sir!" a squeaky voice piped up. "Thank you, Professor, sir! Dobby had always dreamed of his own wand, but never thought he would ever see it happen."

"Your welcome." Severus gave Hermione confused look. She was trying to look innocent. "I'm-- sure you'll make good use of it."

"Dobby has, sir!" said the excited elf. "He has been reading the books in the blue library and doing experiments of his own."

"What!" Severus barked. That was his father's library of experimental potions and charms. Some very volatile ideas were in there.

"Dobby contacted Master Jacob, sir, when he finished his experiment on Flying Potions," the elf said proudly, ignoring Severus' outburst.

"Father finished his experiment?" Severus said in shock. He slumped to the couch. His father had been obsessed with that since Severus was a child.

"Dobby finished it for him, sir," Dobby said proudly.

Hermione flicked a look at Severus. His stern look had turned dumbfounded.

"What was he doing wrong?" Severus asked.

"Your father is sloppy with potions," Dobby said frowning.

"He's meticulous!" Severus exclaimed.

"The python scales have to be splintered, not powdered," said Dobby, scowling. "The oil from the scale has to be dissolved in the first stage and the scale itself in the second. If it's powdered it dissolves too quickly and it's ruined."

"How long did it take you to discover this?" Severus asked.

"Well," said Dobby. "It was one of the first ingredients. So it was the first day."

"That's wonderful, Dobby!" Hermione exclaimed. She looked at Severus, who was still speechless.

"Well, Miss," Dobby said. "Dobby has many chores to do today. The days are shorter."

"I hope you're not working too hard," Hermione said, worriedly. "It is supposed to be your vacation."

Dobby assured her he was fine, said his good-byes and with a pop he was gone.

"Incredible," Severus said, leaning back and stretching. "That's been driving father berserk for years. Good investment, dearest."

"See what someone can do with a little encouragement," Hermione said, turning a little red and snuggling up to him.

Severus sighed and put an arm around her as he relaxed. He waved his wand and flames crackled in the fireplace.

"What time did you get up?" Severus asked.

"About five," said Hermione. "I slept a lot."

"You certainly did," said Severus. "You've been overtaxing yourself. Dumbledore agrees."

Hermione frowned.

"I prescribe a trip to Diagon Alley," said Severus. "You need a bit of recreation."

Hermione smiled up at him and he said something that really surprised her.

"You should bring Ginny Weasley."

"What?" Hermione asked, confused.

"While I am getting supplies you might want to-," he seemed to be searching for a word. "Explore the women's district."

"Women's district?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Clothing shops and beauty things," Severus said. "Things no normal person should desire."

Hermione poked him and he smirked at her.

"I'll talk to Ginny after breakfast," Hermione said.

&&

Severus answered a shy knock on his heavy door. Ginny Weasley stood in his doorway, smiling a bit stiffly.

"Come in," Severus said, stepping to the side.

"Hello, dear," Helga called out, much to Severus annoyance.

"Thanks," said Ginny, her voice wavering a bit. Obviously she still wasn't sure about this.

"Hermione is in her room," Severus said. The Weasley girl practically shook in his presence. He uttered the word to open Hermiones quarters and watched as the girl practically fled.

"This is gorgeous," Ginny said, her mouth wide.

"You've seen pictures," said Hermione as she pulled a black buckled shoe matching the one beside her out from under her bed.

"But still," said Ginny, walking into Hermione's quarters. Severus closed the portal and left them alone. "Mum wants me to find out if you really are alright."

"Of course I'm alright," Hermione said rolling her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell people I'm alright?"

"You know mum," Ginny said sheepishly.

"Severus is a good man," said Hermione firmly, sitting on the bed and beginning to put her shoes on. "He's logical, generous, and kind when he's not being stubborn."

Ginny quirked a corner of her mouth as if she couldn't imagine, but was humoring Hermione.

"Do you know where we're going today?" Hermione asked Ginny, changing the subject.

"Sure," Ginny said. "Mum goes there all the time."

"Have you ever been there?" Hermione asked.

"Well, she usually does all our clothes shopping for us," Ginny said. "Takes all our measurements at home. Says it saves the time of rounding all of us up and making us behave."

Hermione nodded, trying not to crack a smile. She could imagine the twins as toddlers and it wasn't pretty.

"Well, then we'll have an adventure," Hermione said as she stood up, ready to go.

&&

Severus had given her free reign of the Snape accounts. When she had protested he had told her to consider it a late wedding present. When she protested further he became a little uncomfortable and suggested she pick up something generous for her parents as well. When she asked how much she should spend she paled at the sum.

"Why?" Hermione had asked suspiciously.

"My mother went to see your mother," Severus finally relented. "Needless to say, your father is a bit upset at me."

Ginny had choked on her sundae and Hermione looked a little afraid.

"What did he do?" Hermione asked, appalled at what her father might have done or said.

"Well, after mother hit him with a full body bind, not a lot," Severus chuckled in spite of himself. "Your mother, apparently, is more sensible."

Hermione found herself laughing.

"I bet my mum is terribly jealous," she said. "She's wanted to do that for years."

"Your parents will be joining us in France for Christmas," said Severus. "Apparently our mothers have a lot in common."

"Wonderful," Hermione breathed. Once her mother was accustomed to the idea, her father was bound to come around.

"You better find a good present," Ginny remarked.

Hermione nodded and picked at the last of her sundae.

To her surprise, Severus had indulged in a small cup of vanilla ice cream as well and asked she get him Circus Bears if she happened to pass by the sweet shop. Hermione had smiled at the wizarding version of gummi bears the first time she had seen them. The bears did somersaults and little dances with each other for a short time after their package was opened.

Ginny had raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

He bowed slightly as he left them and they agreed to meet later at the Leaky Cauldron.

"He certainly is different alone," said Ginny. "I'll have to write to mum."

"Please do," Hermione said exasperatedly. "She worries far too much."

Hermione and Ginny made their way through Diagon Alley to the women's quarter. They were stopped frequently on the way by witches and wizards wanting to shake Ginnys hand and to tell her father they wished him luck. Ginny shyly thanked them and jotted their names in a small notebook after they had gotten out of site.

"Can't remember everyone," Ginny shrugged when Hermione asked.

They finally reached a set of pink western-style swinging doors between two stores: Prichard's Potions and Samuel Spooner's Spices.

"Funny place for it," said Ginny.

"Well," Hermione said. "I imagine it started quite small. A place for women among all the hustle and bustle of Victorian Britain."

Ginny opened the doors to let them view a long, wide walkway lined with stores on either side. Witches milled about examining the displays or checking off lists. The buildings were tall and the stores narrow. All of them were painted pink. White trim decorated them and each store had a different colored awning.

"It looks like Madame Puddifoot's exploded in here," Ginny muttered.

Hermione tried to control her giggling and they walked in. "Horribly tacky!"

The first shop: Catherine's Consignments, had a slightly worn set of green robes displayed in their window with a pair of boots, almost the same shade green as the robes displayed. Hermione could see two middle-aged witches through the slightly dirty window, each holding firmly onto what looked like a set of midnight blue robes. They were locked in what looked like an escalating disagreement. The young witch behind the counter looked nervous.

"I think we can skip that one," said Hermione.

"Oooh!" Ginny said as she turned around.

"Perfumes?" Hermione asked, turning to read the awning. "What's so special about perfumes? Ron got me perfume once and it was horrible."

"He didn't get it from here," said Ginny. "I've seen their advertisement in Witch Weekly."

A light pink awning sparkled over the entrance of the small store. A small silver bell tinkled over the door as they walked through. Their feet echoed on a light wood floor as they entered the shop

"Hello, ladies," a rich voice welcomed them. An older, plump witch in light orange robes sat behind a counter.

Glass shelves full of glass vials lined the store and large windows let light stream in to let the little bottles sparkle in the sunlight. The store smelled sweet, but not sickly.

"Hello," said Ginny.

Hermione and Ginny began looking at the shelves. Hermione saw normal scents like vanilla, cinnamon, and rose. She also saw cryptic labels like: Ambition, Relaxation, Lust, and Scram.

"We custom mix for your natural scent," said the witch behind the counter. "So if you like roses and they normally make you smell a bit off, it corrects it."

"Nice," said Ginny taking the stopper out of a bottle labeled Inspiration. She opened her notebook and jotted down a note.

"There are no prices," said Hermione.

"I have a list up here," said the witch.

Ginny winced. Hermione looked over her shoulder.

"Well, it's only sensible that enchanted scents would be substantially more," Hermione said.

They left with a small vial of inspiration for Ginny, who was having trouble writing an essay for Binns and a bottle of sandalwood bubble bath for Hermione.

"Severus said this day was for us to get out," Hermione said. "The war is over and school started. We didn't have any time to relax and we never thanked you for helping to arrange such a lovely wedding on such short notice."

Ginny couldn't help but notice all Hermione had to do was show them the small crest on her wedding ring and sign an invoice.

It was going to be an interesting day.

&&

Hermione, Ginny and Severus walked through the fireplace in the Snape receiving room, their arms piled with packages.

"Think you got enough?" Ginny asked, setting down a load on the low table near the couch.

"My personal stores needed work," Severus said, defensively as he set down two large bags.

"I'm sure the sale at the apothecary had nothing to do with it," Hermione said, dropping her load near Ginnys. A few packages tumbled to the floor and bounced on the thick carpet.

"Did _you_ get anything?" Helga asked Hermione, frowning at all the little brown packages.

Ginny turned around and a large red backpack adorned her back.

"What is that?" Helga peered at the pack.

As Severus began sorting the little packages Hermione and Ginny began unpacking the backpack in front of Helga.

"What trickery is this?" Helga exclaimed as the bag kept producing packages long after it should have been emptied.

"Portable space," explained Hermione. "Its featherweight as well."

"Wonderful," said Helga. "The things time has come up with. Can you put small children in it?"

"I don't think so." Ginny thanked heaven for that. She could imagine her mother misplacing the twins.

Hermione showed her the things she had purchased from the perfumery, along with the new clothing and things from the stationary store.

Ginny took the robes Hermione had bought for her with thanks and left to get ready for dinner. When she was gone Hermione tossed a white and red striped packet at Severus. He pocketed them with a wry smile.

"Did you finally have a relaxing day?" Severus asked.

"Yes," said Hermione, going to him and embracing him. "Thank you."

"You've certainly deserved it," Helga said. With a stern look from Severus she scuttled from her frame, making a face at him.

"You've been working too hard," Severus said. "These children will have to learn how to adapt."

Hermione frowned and opened her mouth to protest but Severus held up a hand.

"You're coddling them," Severus said. "Every time they have a nightmare or get a bit jittery they're rewarded with a nice talk and some sweets."

"Some of them are truly upset," said Hermione.

"Some of them aren't," said Severus. "I heard Hodgekins and Gilby debating over whether to summon you tonight or Friday, after the Quidditch match."

Hermiones eyes narrowed.

"They did, did they?" Hermione said silkily. "Well, we'll see about that."

Severus smirked as he hugged her. Those boys wouldn't know what hit them.


	21. Chapter 21

Through the next few weeks Hermione watched the Quibbler and the Daily Prophet like a hawk, searching for anything concerning Harry.

The Prophet stayed amazingly silent about Harry's appearance, although they reran the interview the Quibbler printed after the battle.

The day before Halloween the Quibbler claimed Harry was ready to break into the Quidditch world, and alternately, the arts:

_"I saw him myself," said Nora Robbins, resident of London. "My piping lessons are in the same building. He was heavily bandaged, but I'd recognize him anywhere!"__  
__The offices of Victor Jacobson: Operatic Trainer, have declined to comment. Henry Powell, the producer of the magical opera: Ophelia's Return, has also refused to confirm or deny Potters participation in his newest project._

Thankfully, Halloween fell on a Saturday, giving Hermione plenty of time to convince Severus he was going whether he liked it or not.

"I see no reason why I have to be present," said Severus, conveniently finding a pile of third year scrolls. "We hardly did anything."

"We brought the Amazons and the Jotun," said Hermione. "Without us the battle would have been far more destructive."

"If you hadn't noticed, _you_ did that," said Severus, pulling his reading glasses out of a pocket and putting them on.

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but found she really couldn't. She had known where Dumbledore had gone and had fetched him. She had met Alexandra, binding her to the Amazons. Without the Amazons, the Jotun would have never participated.

"Well," said Hermione, searching for an excuse. "You're still my consort, you need to escort me."

"Consort?" Severus asked, his eyebrows high, a smile playing around his thin lips.

"Unless you want me to go with Goyle," Hermione said testily. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind one more."

"Well in that case," Severus said, raising an eyebrow. Hermione smiled triumphantly. 

&&

Dumbledore, accompanied by Professor McGonagall, waited for the rest of what Ginny had begun to call the Hogwarts' Contingency in his office. His deep purple robes glittered silver faintly as he moved. They were a present from Alexandra. The hat was more like a tall cap made of the same fabric. A thick lining of silver fabric lined it; a chunk of enchanted unmelting ice was carved in the shape of a nine pointed star above his brow.

McGonagall was dressed in a tartan skirt and white ruffled skirt. Her hair was braided and down, for a change.

"Stop pacing," McGonagall said. Dumbledore froze mid-stride and turned to face her. She spied the curly toe of one of his shoes, tapping soundlessly under his robes.

She sighed and threw him a disapproving look.

"Perhaps a spot of tea," Dumbledore said, relaxing slightly in resignation.

McGonagall nodded at him and walked to a tea service in the corner. Dumbledore decided perhaps it was best to sit down. He caught himself drumming a jig with his fingertips and was thankful when McGonagall handed him a cup so he'd have something to do with his hands. He sipped it and lifted his eyebrows.

"Ogden's?" Dumbledore asked McGonagall.

"It will calm your nerves," said McGonagall firmly. "Drink it."

"I haven't eaten today," admitted Dumbledore.

"More the better." McGonagall fixed him with a stern look.

His eyes twinkled at her as he downed his cup. He was just setting it down when green flames leapt up in the fireplace.

Dumbledore stood as his daughter walked through the flames. He was surprised when Sophia followed her daughter through the flames.

"Since I am being honored as well, I am allowed to bring a partner," said Alexandra, her jaw set stubbornly.

Alexandra stood in robes patterned after her fathers; except the color was crème and the woven metal gold. It gave her a healthy glow. Her head covering was more like a middle-eastern scarf. A veil hung loosely, one end fastened near one of her ears. Her mothers outfit matched Alexandra's, but the color was light pink.

"Of course you are," said Dumbledore smiling at them, slightly nervously. McGonagall was glad she had slipped him a nip. She'd never seen him this wound up.

"You go veiled in public?" McGonagall asked.

"We have heard that the air is-," Alexandra seemed to be searching for a word. "Not always so clean here."

They all turned at a knock at the door and Remus, Severus, and Hermione entered, wearing dress robes.

Severus was wearing the same dark robes he wore to the opera, but this time his accessories were in a deep green that matched Hermione's dress robes. Lupin was wearing light brown dress robes and was fiddling with a fraying buttonhole that didn't want to work properly.

"Where is Miss Weasley?" McGonagall asked.

"She should be here soon," Hermione said.

"Does she even know the password?" Remus asked, giving up on the buttonhole.

From the way they all looked at him blankly, he assumed not.

"I'll go down and wait for her," Remus said, backing out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"You look lovely," Alexandra said to Hermione.

"You look better," said Hermione smiling. "Your robes are gorgeous!"

"Thank you," said Sophia.

"Mother wove the fabric," Alexandra said.

Dumbledore looked down at his robes. He looked at Alexandra and then Sophia evenly in turn. These were wedding robes. The cedar smell was from them being in storage for so long.

Sophia had woven them as a girl in love, hoping it would right all wrongs and conquer all. She had been mistaken, but the robes had remained. Dumbledore caught the guilty look in Sophia's eyes and knew.

"It was a shame to let them go to waste," Sophia brusquely.

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "But something is wrong."

He waved his wand at them, something he might never have done if he hadn't ingested the Firewhisky. In a flash Alexandra and her mother had exchanged the color of their robes. Sophia had blushed but said nothing.

"There," said Dumbledore gruffly. "Just as long as we're being practical."

The door opened and Ginny walked in, followed by Remus. She was wearing black velvet robes. Hermione raised her eyebrows, but assumed Fred and George had enough notice to get her something suitable.

"You look nice," Hermione said to Ginny, excitedly.

"Thanks," said Ginny.

"I would have thought the boys would be breaking down your door to escort you," said Severus, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going with Harry," Ginny said, nervously. From the look on Dumbledore's face he didn't know this. She thought she saw him frown for a moment, but it was gone quickly.

"Well then," McGonagall said, walking to the fireplace. "We're all here, let's go."

With a brusque movement she threw floo powder into the fire and stepped through.

&&

The gathering was wonderful. To Hermione's delight Pieter and Anna were present.

"I am representing the Brotherhood," said Pieter boomed proudly.

Pieter stood tall in black silk robes. A white fur cloak draped over his shoulders. A tall cylindrical hat perched on his head, a large ruby set into the white silk band. Anna beamed proudly at him. She stood in deep red dress robes, her brown hair down and curled like Hermiones. Her body had either bounced back from pregnancy well or her robes were enchanted to make her curvaceous and fit.

"Come, Hermione," Anna said in a thick Russian accent, embracing her and arranging one of her curls in a motherly fashion. "I have pictures of the little ones"

Hermione grabbed Ginnys arm and Anna produced an impossibly large photo fold from her tiny handbag.

Tiny Boris was adorable, as Hermione had suspected. His sisters seemed to arrange themselves in every frame, even if it was just a hand or half a face in the picture. They smiled and waved furiously. Misha was posed in a lovely portrait of him near the piano. His sisters darted in and out of the legs of his bench, crawling on the floor.

"I hear we will be spending Christmas together in France this year," Anna said.

"How many people did Anastasia invite?" Hermione blurted out, a picture of Nadja poking Boris falling out of her hands and fluttering to the floor.

"Hermione! Ginny!" a girl's voice called out, distracting them. Hermione retrieved Anna's picture and turned to the voice.

Hermione and Ginny saw Parvati waving at them enthusiastically, her stomach beginning to show the swell of early pregnancy. Anna shooed them in the direction of Parvati, laughing and tucking away her pictures. Parvati's arms were thrown apart to show off her stomach.

"Good Lord, he's quick," Ginny said under her breath. Hermione punched her on the arm. Luckily, Parvati didn't hear.

"Wow, Parvati," Hermione breathed and put her hand on the other girl's stomach without thinking.

Parvati didn't seem to mind being handled and beamed proudly.

"Gregory's so proud," Parvati gushed. Hermione couldn't imagine, but then again people gave her pitying looks when they saw her with Severus.

"When's the baby due?" Ginny asked, still a little amazed someone her age was going to be a parent. She hoped the Goyle family was still well off.

"April," said Parvati. She scowled at Hermione who seemed to be thinking. "Stop doing the math, I got pregnant this summer."

Ginny giggled.

"Where's Padma?" Hermione asked.

"With Gregory, mingling," Parvati rolled her eyes.

"Must be nice to be able to take off," said Severus wistfully as he neared them. "Congratulations Madame Goyle."

"Thank you, Professor," Parvati stammered.

"Gregory always showed promise when he had enough confidence to apply himself," Severus said. "Apparently he needs a little more urging than others." Severus looked behind Parvati and chuckled.

The girls turned to see Padma fussing over Gregory's dress robes. It was apparent they had more of an eastern cut to them and he wasn't sure how they were supposed to hang.

"Err," said Parvati. "I think I'd better go help them."

Ginny shook her head and quirked a corner of her mouth.

"Who'd have thunk it?" Ginny said.

Severus put an arm around Hermione and kissed her forehead out of the corner of his mouth. Ginny noted this out of the corner of her eye and gave Severus a brownie point.

"I hope they don't get pregnant at the same time," Hermione frowned.

"No man should have to deal with two pregnant wives," said Pieter from behind them. He shuddered. Anna smacked his arm. "What, you want me to take another wife?"

"Let us go," Anna said, ignoring her husband, who looked pleased at her annoyance. "They want us to go to the stage area."

Hermione noticed Sophia was following Dumbledore, her arm in his. Alexandra looked at Hermione and smiled slightly. Hermione nodded at her and smiled back. She was tremendously relieved no one was angry at her for telling Dumbledore he was a father.

As they approached the stage area they met up with Harry, unmasked. Hermione and Ginny had straggled back to talk to him as he joined their parade.

To Hermione's surprise, Harry kissed Ginny hello on the cheek and Ginny had flushed a deep scarlet. His robes matched hers so perfectly Hermione could only guess it was Harry; not the twins, that had bought Ginny's robes.

Ginny had had feelings for Harry since she was a child and would never care what he looked like. Harry knew Ginny well enough to appreciate her. Ginny knew him well enough to see through whatever hare-brained scheme he and Ron came up with next. In Hermione's opinion, it was about time. She imagined Molly was thrilled.

Neville was already on stage with his Gran. She was delivering a teary speech about what an honor it was for the Longbottoms to be recognized for their contribution in the fight against Dark Wizards. A large picture of Alice and Frank Longbottom hovered in the background.

As the Longbottoms made their way offstage to rousing applause, Arthur Weasley stepped into the light from the opposite side of the stage and thanked them. Hermione saw Ron across the stage and waved. As Arthur began speaking, Neville shook Harry's hand and even quirked a corner of his mouth at Severus when the Potions Master smiled at him thinly and nodded once. His Gran was talking loudly to McGonagall about Frank and the legacy of his line, her tears gone and her iron expression firmly back in place.

Thank God, Neville had convinced her to leave the stuffed vulture at home.

To Hermione's relief, she saw tables appear on the stage. As they made their way on stage she saw the audience was seated at dinner tables and more focused on the menus in front of them rather than the stage, although when Dumbledore stepped out they all began applauding again.

Dumbledore gave them a small bow and took his place near Arthur Weasley. Molly had joined them on stage and sat on Arthur's other side. She had given Hermione an excited small hug as Hermione sat beside her; then beamed at Ginny and Harry sitting together. Padma Goyle didn't look excited at having to sit next to Harry, but at a glare from Ginny sat and made polite conversation.

Hermione smiled in understanding and chanced a glance at Severus. Ron was pulling out a chair beside him. They were taking their seats and picking their menus up. Typical unromantic, unobservant males.

On Ron's other side Hermione saw Neville pull a chair out for Alexandra. At least someone at the table had manners.

Their meal was simple, but delicious. As dessert was served the sky exploded with color.

"Fire dancers!" Severus exclaimed. "Excellent, Molly! Arthur would never have thought of this."

Molly looked shocked for a moment, but thanked him and beamed at Hermione.

"You're going to love this, dear," she said, squeezing Hermione's arm.

Hermione watched as soft orchestra music began to fill the festival area. As Harry passed sets of omnioculars down the length of the table she squinted at the sky. Hermione kept passing them until she got a pair of her own. She raised them to her face and she felt her mouth drop open.

The sparks she had seen in the sky were witches and wizards throwing flame and performing acrobatic tricks on their brooms. She watched as a small Asian wizard spun her broom impossibly like a top and shot multi-colored fire out of her wand. She pulled out of it and created a hoop of flame just as a blonde wizard swooped over her. As he flew away from her, the hoop changed into a butterfly and flitted after him.

The small witch alternately hid from him and teased him, making him grow frustrated in his chase. Other performers, dressed as flaming birds that flashed different colors as different parts of the orchestra played.

Harry slipped her a note jotted on a napkin halfway through the performance. Molly read it as Hermione opened it and burst into giggles.

_Bet I'd be better at this than opera._

Hermione giggled uncontrollably and Severus quirked an eyebrow at her. She crumpled the note and tucked it into her robes.

&&

"Probably a good idea there was no wine," Severus said as he and Hermione stepped through their fireplace at Hogwarts.

"Probably," said Hermione. "Could you _believe_ Narcissa Malfoy was there?"

"Dressed in mourning," said Severus, bitterly. "How clever of her." He walked to his drink cabinet and poured himself a generous amount of Firewhisky.

Hermione intercepted it on the way to his mouth, and drank a bit before she handed it back to him.

"Thank you," she said as he drank what was left in the glass. He frowned as he refilled it.

"For what?" Severus asked as he sipped at his glass.

"Going with me," she said. "I know you didn't want to."

"It was nothing," Severus lied.

He had detested the entire event. 

Well, not the entire event. He had always enjoyed fire dancers. Perhaps the Headmaster would consider adding an art to the curriculum. It would be nice to see something like this on a regular basis.

The idea that the bubble-headed Patil brat was having the spawn of the ox-brained Goyle boy was enough to give him a headache. Maybe he'd be lucky and the child would turn out to be a squib.

Having to be forced to hear the exploits of the Longbottom line for the thousandth time would have been the end of him. He was glad they had just caught the end of it.

Potters appearance was disturbing to say the least. Unfortunately, he would probably have the Weasley girl mounted and breeding within half a decade.

Watching Dumbledore lose his dignity and publicly play a lovesick fool was stomach churning. The man had requested six youth serums, for Merlin's sake. Severus shuttered to think of what he was doing with them.

&&

An attractive, red haired young man adjusted his purple dress robes in a long mirror. His full red beard nearly reached his chest, his straight hair pulled back with a black ribbon. He fingered the side of his nose thoughtfully.

"Was I really this good looking?"

"Of course you were."

A short woman with long blonde hair wrapped her arms around him from behind and peered around him at her own reflection. He turned and looked down into her face.

"Sophie-," he began.

"Albus," she smiled at his and placed a finger on his lips. "We were young. It was over a half a century ago."

"You had time to tell me," Dumbledore said.

"I'm sorry," she said. For a moment Dumbledore worried she might cry, but she didn't.

"No you're not," said Dumbledore.

"No, not really," Sophia said, standing on her toes to kiss him.

He sighed. The damned woman was insufferable. At least he was wise enough this time to give up.

"The potions will only last a few hours," Dumbledore said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"So we should make the best use of our time," said Sophie with a twinkle in her eye.

"We can talk later," said Albus, picking her up and hefting her over a shoulder.

She squeaked in delight as he strode across the room and threw her on the bed. She made to take off but he grabbed her robes and yanked her to him.

Sophia giggled as he growled. Her arms encircled him and began untying his sash.

"I'm not even sure I remember how to do this," he chuckled and struggled with her robes.

"I think I can help," said Sophia as Dumbledore's robes fell open. "You used to like it when I did this."

Sophia snaked a hand under his robes and watched as Dumbledore's expression changed.

"Now I remember."


	22. Chapter 22

"Thank you for making it down this early, Thomas." Nigel Warren, a short, balding man with a dark mustache grumbled. He wore a brown mac and a tweed hat that had seen better days.

A tall man in a long black raincoat held an umbrella over the both of them and grinned down at him. "Nigel, it's pouring down. You'll catch a cold."

"Better off out here than in there," said the shorter man jerking his head. "Not natural, I'm telling you."

The door to the small cottage opened and a young red haired man wearing rubber gloves and carrying a camera came out.

"We're done with the pictures, Nigel, Thomas," said the man, nodding at each of them. Ryan McConnell's curly red hair stuck out in all directions and his green eyes sparkled. He snapped a glove out and offered his hand. "You can take another look before we bag and tag him."

"Don't know how you do it, Ryan," said Thomas Byron, shaking his hand. "Gives me the shivers."

"Wherever there's a mystery, forensics will always be there to solve the case," the red haired man boasted.

"Off with you now," said the shorter detective. "Give us a minute."

The red haired man scuttled off to a white van and the tall man chuckled.

"Must've driven Alice nuts when they were kids," said Byron.

"Drives me nuts now," said Warren as he pulled two pair of rubber gloves out of his pocket and handed a pair Thomas. "But she thinks it's cute that I work with her brother."

"What can you do?" Byron chuckled as he struggled with his gloves and tried to keep his umbrella up.

"This one's creepy," said Warren, opening the door to the house.

There was a corpse on the floor. A blonde lanky man was taking pictures from all different angles. A brown haired stocky man took picture of several objects in the room. A dark haired woman with her hair in a bun was taking notes in a black book. She turned as they entered.

"Good morning, gentlemen," said the woman.

"This is Detective Byron, Detective Morgan" said Warren. The taller detective shook the woman's hand.

"Please to meet you, Detective Byron," said the woman. She was wearing a feminine black suit and a white shirt. "This is an interesting case. Has Detective Warren filled in the details?"

"No, he just said I should come out," said Byron.

He looked down at the corpse. The priest lay prone on the floor. He was positioned as if he had answered a knock at his back door. A look of fear was plastered across his face.

"Know anything about him?" Byron asked.

"Not a lot," said Morgan. She flipped her book closed and let them to the kitchen. "His housekeeper found him. We talked to her about an hour ago. Thinks some neighborhood children gave him a fright and his heart gave out. He's led his parish for over twenty years. Christened every child for miles. Married most couples around here. No one ever had a problem with him."

"You'll be talking to other people, of course," said Byron.

"Of course," she stiffened.

"Thank you, Shelley," said Warren. "We're all a bit off this early in the morning." He elbowed Byron.

Byron mumbled an apology and offered to fetch coffee and cookies for the crew.

"Thank you," said Morgan. "That would be wonderful."

Byron shuffled off and Morgan turned to Warren.

"No, I was going to have a chat with the housekeeper and put the file in 'unsolved mysteries,'" Morgan said sarcastically.

"He's not used to competence," said Warren. "So good at his job they put him in charge of the interns."

"Poor man," Morgan winced.

"Loves it," said Warren. "Knew he'd be our man."

"I certainly hope so," said Morgan.

&&

"Madame Bones," said Byron into a small black cellular phone as he walked down the street. "I believe we have a problem."

&&

"Apparently the Weasleys are joining us for Christmas," Severus said, reading a scroll from his mother.

"Does that surprise you?" Hermione said as she cast her line. "Pieter and Arthur really hit it off."

One of the elves had remarked there was an invisible barrier on her ledge and she had no chance of falling. Since then, Hermione had promised Severus she would join him at least once. So far she had caught three fish and Severus had caught none. She couldn't figure out why he seemed to think something he was so easily infuriated with was relaxing. As she pulled out her fourth he gave up and began reading his mail.

"Mother always liked a full house," said Severus. "She has a lot of sisters."

"Must be nice when your house is that big," said Hermione. "How many Aunts do you have?"

"Eleven on that side," said Severus. Hermione paled. "Two on fathers."

"Wow," said Hermione. "That's a lot of kids to herd."

"You should talk," said Severus, rolling the scroll and placing it next to him on the ledge. "You're trying to mother an entire school."

"That's not fair," Hermione said, scowling at him.

"You're 18 years old, Hermione," Severus said. "Please. Frolic."

"I beg your pardon," Hermione said, a bitter look on her face.

Severus found himself laughing. Not this usual chuckle or clicking sneer, but for once a full laugh. Hermione looked startled.

"Sometimes you remind me of me," said Severus. "It's a bit disconcerting at times."

Hermione threw him a dirty look and recast her line. She hoped she caught another one, just for spite.

Bastard.

&&

A post owl swooped down through an owl entrance of 12 Grimmauld Place a crisp November afternoon and burst into the kitchen. It dropped several letters in a red tray beside the wide chute before it sat on a nearby perch and hooted.

Harry padded over in stocking feet and scratched the owl behind his ear tufts.

"Got a few, Neville," he said as he fished out the Daily Prophet and a scroll. He passed a scroll and a blue shimmering envelope to Neville. He pocketed the envelope and unrolled the scroll from his Gran.

"Gran says we're all going to the Snape's for Christmas," said Neville, his eyebrows raised.

"Who's 'we?'" Harry asked as he reached for a bowl in his kitchen.

"Apparently all of us," said Neville. "You too, Ron."

"Not bloody likely," snorted Ron as he stirred a pot of soup.

"Your mum's already agreed," said Neville.

Ron grumbled into their lunch, but didn't say anything more. Harry seemed awfully cheerful.

"You seem keen on the idea," said Neville.

"First time in France," said Harry, chancing a glance at Ron.

Ron didn't seem to notice, but Neville knew the real reason. Harry and Ginny had been writing an awful lot of owls to each other lately.

"I hope the rest of his family isn't so creepy," said Ron as he served soup to Harry.

"Pieter seemed alright," said Neville. "That Anna and your mum showed each other baby pictures all night."

"Didn't know you could fit so many pictures in such a small wallet," remarked Harry.

"The one of Bill naked on a rug was cute," Neville chuckled. "You should send that one to Fleur."

"Not a bad idea," said Ron. "If I can wrestle it away from mum."

"You're a great brother, you know that Ron?" Harry said as he sat down with his soup.

Neville looked at it and got up to get his own.

"I do try," said Ron, smiling widely.

"Glad I've never made you mad," snorted Neville as he poured himself a bowl of soup.

Neville still had a bit of a limp, but didn't require a cane anymore. Occasionally he still carried it because he thought it made him look debonair.

Green flames leapt high in their hearth and they turned to see Hermione stride into the kitchen.

"Hey, Hermione," said Harry cheerfully. "You're just in time for lunch."

"Already ate," Hermione said. "Is that Mrs. Weasley's potato soup?"

She had crossed the kitchen and was peering into the pot.

"It's her recipe," said Ron.

"Well, maybe a bit," she said, grudgingly.

"Don't eat the candy," Neville said as she sat down. A small dish of glistening ribbon candy sat in the middle of the table.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Hermione. "Is it from Fred and George?"

"Yup," said Ron, shoveling soup into his mouth.

"What does it do?" Hermione asked.

"No idea," said Harry. "No one's been willing to try a piece."

Hermione shook her head and blew on her soup.

"Does he treat you well, Hermione?" Neville asked.

Everyone at the table froze.

"Honestly," said Hermione, annoyed. "I should type up a press release."

Harry laughed and tried to shake out the stiffness Neville's comment had struck him with.

"He's smarmy, but decent," said Harry. "Trust me. I know."

"Gods, that's creepy, Harry," Neville shivered.

"Must take some getting used to," Hermione said.

"It's really convenient, actually," said Harry. "I know all these spells and I didn't even have to study."

"Zap me, Harry," said Neville, jokingly. "I could use some help in the memory department."

"Knowing you, you'd get it all mixed up," said Ron, shaking a spoon at him. "Crack the earth in two trying to make a cup of tea."

"Probably right," Neville said sheepishly as everyone else laughed. "Got a letter from the Department of Experimental Horticulture, though."

"Yeah?" Harry asked. "What did they have to say?"

"Want me to work for them," said Neville.

"Congratulations, Neville!" Hermione exclaimed.

"That's great news," said Harry. Ron nodded and sipped at his soup. Hermione had heard nothing about Ron working at all. She was honestly afraid to ask.

"Gran's really proud," said Neville. "I think she's kind of relieved I'm not an auror. That last skirmish was enough for this family."

Hermione nodded and glanced at Harry. He looked almost pained for a moment, but it passed quickly.

"So what brings you to see us?" Ron asked.

"Do I need a reason?" Hermione asked.

"Thought you'd be working," Neville said, looking at the clock.

"Blaise has it covered," Hermione said. "It's calmed down immensely since we made Hodgekins and Gilby fertilize the gardens with dragon dung and very small shovels."

"I imagine it did," Ron chuckled.

Neville made a disgusted sound.

"I hear we're going to spend Christmas together," Harry said.

"All of us?" Hermione said, her eyes widening.

"Anna hit it off with mum and Neville's Gran," Ron said. "She's staying here, but Neville's coming with us."

"Wow," said Hermione wondering how big the estate was.

Harry fixed her with a strange look.

"Not that I don't want to see you all," said Hermione, looking at him. "It's all a surprise and I'm wondering how large the house is."

"This house could sleep that lot," Ron said. "I'm sure his house is the same size or larger."

Green flames crackled in the hearth and Remus Lupin walked into the kitchen.

"Are you going to the Snapes for Christmas, as well?" Ron asked as Remus entered the kitchen. "And don't you have classes?"

"Not that I know of," said Remus, looking mildly surprised. "And no, I'm free this afternoon."

"You can come if you want to," Hermione said.

"I'll pass," Remus said. "But I'm sure these fools will drum up something for New Years."

"Bit early to plan," said Harry. "But probably."

"I'd like to help," volunteered Hermione.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"What makes you think anything is wrong?" Hermione asked.

"You're here in the middle of a school day and you want to plan a party at someone else's house," said Ron. "Don't you find that a bit odd?"

Hermione looked back at the eyes boring into her and sighed.

"Severus seems to think I need to get out more," she sighed.

"Well, I agree with that," said Ron. "The Ministry will be accepting applications soon. You should apply."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Neville interrupted her.

"You can't stay at Hogwarts your whole life, Hermione."

Surprisingly, she closed her mouth.

"Wow, Neville," said Ron. "You have to teach me to do that!"

Hermione made a face at him and ate a spoonful of soup.

"Hey, Hermione," said Harry, not wanting to see a disagreement on such a good day. "Do you and Snape want to come to my first game?"

"If he can get away," said Hermione.

"He's 'Severus' now, Harry," said Remus, sitting near Hermione and elbowing her.

"I'm sorry," said Harry, shaking his head.

"Must be confusing, sometimes," said Hermione. "I'm sorry Harry."

"Hey," said Harry. "I'm alive."

"And things have been settled," said Neville, darkly.

Hermione looked at Neville. He really did look older. Harder. She wasn't sure this was a good thing.

"And it's over," said Lupin. "Thank God."

They ate in silence until their bowls were empty and Hermione cleared them away.

"It's kind of neat, though," said Harry, breaking the silence.

Ron cracked a smile at him.

"You the most powerful wizard in the world, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I think I might be," said Harry. "Have to talk to Dumbledore."

Hermione and Neville began to clear the table and put the dishes near the sink tucked away in one corner..

"That's funny," Neville said thoughtfully to Hermione as she set the dishes on the basin.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"Harry still needs acknowledgement from Dumbledore to see his own talents," said Neville.

"So?" Hermione asked. Neville stood so he could talk to her in lower tones. They began washing dishes together.

"So," said Neville patiently. "Talking to Harry, You-Know-Who was really involved with a feud with Dumbledore. The killings were bait. The Deatheaters were bait. The Ministry was a chessboard. The whole thing was personal."

"Still," Hermione said. "He doesn't know the extent of Dumbledore's knowledge."

"True," Neville admitted.

"And most of the spells transferred from You-Know-Who probably aren't even legal," said Hermione.

"That's not true," Harry said loudly.

"What?" asked Hermione, dropping a bowl with a loud clang.

"Many spells I learned were perfectly legal," Harry said. He tapped a glass of water with his wand and ice formed slowly. An ice rose grew and bloomed before it became crystalline.

"Wow, Harry," Hermione breathed as she took the glass from him.

"It's permanent," said Harry. "Will you pass it on to Ginny for me?"

Ron gave Harry a look Hermione couldn't decipher, but she hazard a guess.

Ron liked Harry. They were best friends. Harry was a good person. However, Ginny was Ron's little sister. No matter how old she was, she was Ron's little sister.

"Sure," said Hermione. "She'll be the envy of every girl at school."

"What? With a mug like that?" Ron gestured at Harry.

Harry burst out laughing. Hermione was thankful he was accepting his appearance without getting strange about it. Well, except for the Hogsmede incident.

"Sure," said Hermione.

It was true. Most of the young girls were in awe of Harry. Most of the counseling had to do with fears of Voldemort hiding somewhere in Harry, ready to do him harm, not of Harry himself. A muggle-born girl suggested an exorcism.

"You're just jealous you aren't getting any fan mail," Harry said smirking.

"Fan mail?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, yea," said Neville. "Got a room to go through it all. Seems like the whole world had to send an owl."

"Oh, this I've got to see," said Hermione, laughing.

Harry embarrassedly showed her the room that was intended to be his den. Piles of letters towered on his desk and unopened mail bags littered a corner of the room.

"Good Lord," Hermione breathed. "You're answering them all, Harry?"

"The twins are helping," admitted Harry.

"The twins?" Hermione asked, confused.

"They figured out how to enchant a Quoting Quill to write in my handwriting," Harry said.

"Don't you mean a Quik Quotes Quill?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, appearing behind them. "Quick Quotes have themes."

"Themes?" Hermione asked.

"Yea," said Harry. "Rita Skeeter had a 'Tragic' one. They have other 'flavors' like Romance or Annoyed."

Hermione giggled.

"Quoting Quills just take dictation," said Ron. "Better that way."

"No kidding," said Hermione practically choking at an image of a lonely witch getting an 'annoyed' letter from Harry. "You don't want anyone to accidentally think you're proposing."

Harry made a face.

"Want the grand tour?" Harry asked.

Ron's room was still orange as ever. More posters than ever adorning his walls. Only one token poster of the Hornets was stuck on the back of his door.

Neville's Gran helped him decorate his rooms in dark woods and cream wallpaper. It was a bit sparse, but Neville said he was working on it.

Harry had done his bedroom in dark woods with light yellow accents.

"Getting into the Hornet's thing?" Hermione asked him, an eyebrow quirked. He had just grinned at her.

Hermione walked from room to room, impressed at all the work the boys had accomplished.

"Mum helped a lot," Ron admitted.

When her tour was wrapped up, Hermione looked at a timepiece Anastasia had sent her.

"I hate to go," said Hermione, cringing slightly.

Ron, Neville, and Harry had seen her to the kitchen. Remus had already returned to the school after he had finished his soup and borrowed a book.

"One of us is usually home," Neville said, as he handed her the ice rose for Ginny. "You're always welcome here."

"Thanks," said Hermione, gratefully. Then she thought for a second. "Is it alright if I brought Blaise, sometime?"

The boys were unusually silent. Hermione knew they didn't trust Slytherins. They had good reason.

"Of course," said Harry, finally. Ron shot him a look, but he ignored it. "Any friend of yours is welcome here."

"But Harry-," Ron began to protest.

"Dumbledore trusts him," said Harry. "And he always was a disappointment to his father."

Hermione felt a part of her heart go soft. How hard it must be to be rejected by a parent for being a good person. She must remember to invite Blaise to tea one afternoon. She hardly knew anything about his family. Maybe it was better off that way.

"Bloody hell, that's creepy, Harry!" Neville exclaimed with a semi-disgusted look on his face.

"Well, it's not my fault!" Harry burst out.

Hermione wanted to toss floo powder in the hearth and disappear, but she was riveted to the spot. Ron looked as if he'd like nothing more than to join her and whoosh off back to Hogwarts.

"Um-," Ron said awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Can't you do something?" Neville asked.

"If I could, wouldn't you think I would have done it?" Harry asked, obviously annoyed.

"I'm not sure I would," Neville said.

"What?" said the kitchen in unison, confused.

"Harry, do you even comprehend what you've been given?" Neville asked quietly. "That's a lot of power, Harry."

"I don't understand," said Harry.

Hermione understood. Neville was right.

"Harry," said Hermione. "You know it all."

Harry shook his head, not understanding.

"All Voldemorts secrets, his motivations, his plans," Hermione said. "His knowledge."

"The historians have already-," Harry began.

"Harry, you have names and locations," said Ron, to everyone's surprise. "You know who can be trusted and who can't. You know where things are hidden. Where people disappeared to. Has anyone questioned you about that yet?"

"No," said Harry, paling slightly. "Good Lord."

"You aren't responsible," Hermione said quickly. "No one will blame you."

"You don't know that," Harry said.

"Have you even read any of that mail, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry confessed. "Just got the room set up. I assumed it was just the standard assortment."

"You might be surprised," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Good luck."

"Either way," said Neville. "Even if Dumbledore is more powerful than you, think of what that means. Think of how powerful he is, and you're only 18."

"Too bad there's no wizarding college," Harry joked.

"What's college?" Ron asked.

"School after school," Hermione said.

"What on earth would you need that for?" Ron asked, flabbergasted.

Hermione and Harry explained the collegiate system to Ron. Neville seemed impressed.

"I can see how it would help Harry," Ron said. "But what about the rest of us?"

"Think of what 4 extra years of focused experiments and schooling would do for the wizarding community," said Hermione.

"Might give a few more a chance at becoming aurors," Ron mused.

"Might give me a chance at anything," said Neville.

"Come off it Neville," said Ron. "You were always tops in Herbology. You'll do great at the Ministry."

"You need to believe in yourself, Neville," said Hermione. "I have a feeling they do plan on training you."

Neville gave her a small smile and his cheeks turned red.

"If I need to know anything I'll send you an owl," Neville said shyly.

"Send me an owl anytime you want," Hermione said. "That goes for all of you."

"Will do," said Ron.

"And don't bicker," she chided, as she threw a handful of powder into the fire. "Lots of things have happened that we can't change now. Deal with it."

Neville looked guilty. They all looked a bit guilty, actually.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, as she disappeared.


	23. Chapter 23

_Dear Mr. Potter,__  
__Our daughter, Katherine Biggins, disappeared the summer of 1978. Enclosed is her picture.__  
__Her mother and I know she probably died long ago but were hoping you might be able to help us locate her remains. It would mean a lot to her mother._

_Sincerely,__  
__Harold Biggins_

"Another one," Neville said in wonderment. The envelope dangled in his hand as he read the letter.

"How many people went missing, Harry?" Ron asked, digging through a pile of letters.

"In the last fifty years?" Harry asked. "I don't know."

"Fucking creepy," Neville muttered under his breath as he tucked the letter back into the envelope.

&&

Severus woke up with something warm and heavy near him. A hand seemed to be gripping his morning erection firmly. It was not his hand. He opened his eyes to see a brown pair peering back at him.

"Can I help you?" he asked, trying to wake up and not kill Hermione with morning breath.

"Maybe," she said, her voice muffled by the covers.

Severus lay back and let his wife molest him. Life wasn't so bad.

"Severus I-," a deep voice said.

Severus jumped. He heard Hermione choke under the covers.

"I'm sorry," Remus' head said, laughing from the small fireplace in Severus' quarters.

"Morning, Remus," Hermione choked out under the covers.

"I'll come back later," Remus chuckled.

"Don't bother," said Hermione, her bushy head emerging from under the covers. Thankfully, she was still in her pajamas. "I was just leaving."

Hermione snickered at Severus' expression as she scampered from the room. Severus yanked up his pajama bottoms and straighted himself out under the covers as she shut the door behind her.

"Must be nice, having a young wife," said Remus wistfully.

"Exhausting at times," said Severus wearily. "What did you need?"

"Arthur wants some help from within the Order," said Remus. "Found quite a few potions in the raids and he's not sure about some of them."

"One can only imagine," Severus groaned.

"You _are_ the best, Severus," said Remus.

"I'm sure," Severus said bitterly.

"The Ministry is willing to pay you for your contributions," said Remus slowly, gauging Severus' reaction.

"The Ministry is paying former Deatheaters for assistance these days?" Severus asked, an eyebrow raised.

"A few new laws have made their way through," said Remus, smiling slightly.

"Imagine that," said Severus dryly. Remus tried to look innocent.

"Arthur's doing the best he can," Remus said. "And we're still not sure who we can trust."

"Do you not have access to Potter?" Severus said, climbing out of bed.

"Of course," said Remus. "But that still doesn't help us much."

"He can identify every Deatheater there ever was," said Severus stalking to his coat rack and retrieving his fluffy yellow robe. Remus raised an eyebrow. Severus ignored him. It was too early in the morning.

"But he doesn't have the sense to stay away from people like Rita Skeeter," Remus remarked, still smiling at the robe. "You know, yellow looks good on you."

"It was from my mother," said Severus stiffly. "Quite right about Potter. The Dark Lord's memory with no wisdom. Pray for the world."

Suddenly Molly Weasleys head popped into existence near Remus'.

"Oh, what a lovely color," Molly exclaimed. Severus groaned inwardly. His reputation was ruined. At least she hadn't shown up with Remus. He'd probably still be hearing her screech at him.

"Morning," said Severus cooly. She had been unpleasant to him, but if he picked a fight with her the rebuttal from Hermione might be too much to take.

"I wanted to tell you," she started nervously. Severus was reminded of all the Weasley boys when caught doing something wrong. He found himself feeling nervous. What had the woman done? What was she capable of? "I hear Hermione is very happy. Thank you."

Severus was stunned. His mouth moved but no words came out. Molly disappeared from sight.

"Should I owl the Daily Prophet?" Remus asked, smiling his slight crooked smile. "You in yellow and Molly getting near to an apology, must be a polyjuice gang running about."

"Very funny," Severus said annoyed. The day had started out so well. "Tell Arthur I have some time in the afternoon."

"Very well," said Remus. "Report to the Department of Mysteries."

"Can I bring Hermione?" Severus asked quickly. Remus looked quizzically at him. "She's a valuable assistant. Reads like a most people breathe."

"Ah," said Remus. "Why not? She would probably find it very informative. I'll memo for another badge."

"Thank you," said Severus. With a small pop Severus' fire faded from green to orange and died as Remus disappeared.

Perhaps today would turn out to be interesting after all.

&&

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as she reached for her pumpkin juice.

"The Department of Mysteries," said Severus innocently.

Hermiones eyes narrowed. He reached for a plate of eggs.

"Really?" she asked flatly.

"They have the best equipment," said Severus filling his plate.

"I'm sure they do," said Hermione taking the plate from him and getting a serving for herself.

"I need you, Hermione," said Severus. She started slightly. "You're competent."

It was the nicest compliment he had ever given her.

She blushed and brushed his knee under the table. Severus frantically tried to remember whether the tablecloth hung down low enough or if his wife had just done that in full view of all the students. Even if it didn't, no one seemed to notice.

"I'll pencil you in," she said, smiling at him.

&&

"Here are your badges," said an auror, smiling as he handed Severus and Hermione their wands and badges.

Hermione took a look at hers and began snickering. Severus looked over her shoulder to see: Hermione Snape underneath it in smaller letters it said: Know-It-All.

"Well, it's obvious the Weasleys are in charge," said Severus, sniffing.

Severus chanced a glance at his own badge. It clearly stated: Severus Snape: Potions Master. He was relieved.

The Ministry had been reconstructed almost identically to the way it was before, with the exception of the fountain. The centaur and the elf now stood beside the wizards, their arms raised. No wands lay in their hands, but the statues were fitted for alteration.

Hermione and Severus were directed to the Department of Mysteries at the information booth and headed to an elevator.

Arthur met them on their floor and walked with them along a long winding corridor.

"We weren't really sure who else to ask," said Arthur, rubbing a small bald patch on the back of his head. "We aren't even sure if they're all potions."

Severus stiffened. "I would hope we have Ministry equipment at our disposal."

"Of course," said Arthur. "All the toys you could want."

This might not be so bad after all.

&&

"They'll grow back, Hermione," Severus said in their receiving room. He was trying desperately not to laugh. He was pouring her a weak rum and coke, thankfully with his back to her.

Hermione felt the bare ridge above her eyes. She was lucky her face was intact.

She had unstoppered the small bottle and a white blaze had exploded out of it. The dragon hide suit had protected her from the blaze, but her faceplate had cracked. Thankfully, the only casualty was her eyebrows.

Severus had been near to hysterical when they had lifted her unconscious form from the floor. After her injuries were deemed superficial, he began to see the humor in her appearance.

"Maybe Poppy has something that will speed it up," said Hermione.

"Perhaps," said Severus handing her a tumbler. He entertained a thought about Hermione sporting bushy eyebrows and smirked.

&&

Ginny sat behind her drawn curtains and looked at her ice rose by the light of her wand.

"Oh, Harry," she said softly, reaching out to touch a petal.

To her amazement, the flower bloomed. In the center a transparent image of Harry smiled and blew a kiss at her. Then the bud tightened to its original state.

Ginny frowned. What was that? It was wonderful of course, but what had triggered the effect?

She touched the petals. It stayed firm. She even tried to wiggle a petal open, but it wouldn't budge. She tapped it with her wand. Nothing.

"Bugger, Harry," Ginny muttered frustrated. The flower bloomed and he made a face at her. She started. It closed.

She seriously doubted he was directly connected to the rose itself, but it probably had expressive properties, like a picture. Her first statement had been favorable, so he had blown her a kiss. When she had cursed him it had made a face at her. Curious.

"I love you, Harry Potter," said Ginny softly. She was glad she had put a silencing charm around her so she didn't wake her dorm mates. They would think she was loony. The flower bloomed and Harry blew her another kiss. Well, this was interesting.

"I want to quit school and join the circus, Harry," said Ginny. The flower bloomed and Harry made a horrified expression at her. It looked very strange with his serpentine eyes.

So she could gauge his opinion this way. Strange. She wondered if this was his intention. She would have to owl him tomorrow.

Either way, it was a lovely present.

&&

Hermione walked through a fireplace in the entrance hall of the Amazons. She pulled her dark blue robes around her. She didn't know how the Amazons lived in togas. The air was pleasant smelling and crisp, but it was a bit cold. She had chosen medium weight robes and carried a cloak just in case.

"Hello!" Lexi called out across the massive receiving hall, waving at Hermione. Lexi was standing with two women Hermione didn't know near a pillar.

One of the women was short and tanned. She was stout and her toga was a light green with a red belt. She had a large wide face and nose. She smiled pleasantly at Hermione. She held a leather book and a white quill in her hands. A large mass of dark hair was piled on her head. Hermione wondered if it was to give the illusion she was taller.

The other woman was tall and so pale she was almost devoid of color. Her eyes were pale blue and her hair white. She looked young, younger than Hermione, but Hermione had never seen a being like her. There was no telling how old the girl was, but she also carried a leather book and quill matching the other woman's. Her toga and belt were both white.

"Thank you for entrusting me with a portal to your floo network," Hermione said, smiling and clutching a brown satchel and a few books.

"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to examine such a treasure," the tall girl said in a monotone voice that seemed to produce a metallic buzz behind her words. Her mouth moving didn't seem to affect the muscle movement of the rest of her face. It was a little unnerving.

Hermione tried not to look surprised, but knew she failed by the way the strange girl looked at her, clearly amused.

"Asta was born after the Jotun left the last time," Lexi said.

Hermione didn't know what to say, but the girl called Asta laughed spontaneously, apparently at Hermione. The short woman glared at the younger girl.

"Forgive me," the Asta said, apologetically. "I will reinforce my shields."

Asta closed her eyes and a pink sheen seemed to wash over her. She reached out to help Hermione with her load of books and shook her free hand when she had one.

"Asta can naturally pick up thoughts," the stout woman explained. "Sometimes she forgets everyone does not practice Occlumancy."

"I actually do, a bit," Hermione admitted. Harry had taught her a bit, although it probably wouldn't hurt to ask Severus to tutor her. "I'll be careful to shield myself thoroughly in the future."

"This is Nyssa," Lexi said, motioning to the stout witch. "She will be overseeing our experiments."

"We hear you have quite an interesting item," Nyssa said excitedly.

"That's what I hear as well," Hermione said, thankful someone with knowledge was willing to help her. The Amazons were more than accommodating.

"Well," Lexi said. "We should go to the labs."

Hermione followed the Amazons to a gold square, inlaid in the white seamless floor. The square rose to create a railing before a platform started to rise in the air. Hermione likened it to a freeform elevator. An ornate carved trapdoor covered in colorless roses opened in the ceiling above them and they ascended through it.

They rose through a brightly illuminated room with large windows. Dozens of women sat at dark wooden desks scribbling on different colored parchments. Rows of different colored ink bottles were lined along the top edge of their desks. On the corner of each desk was a small golden cage with a small dove seemingly made of ice flittering in it. No one seemed to notice as they rose up and through the room and through a trapdoor decorated in stone tendrils of ivy.

The next floor looked like a library, the paneling dark and large tables lined up with volumes stacked on them; except for the spines of all the books were a bright brilliant blue. All the amazons here seemed to have silver belts to their togas, although the colors of the togas themselves seemed to take on every color of the rainbow. Hermione tried to make out at least tone title before they skipped past the room, but failed miserably.

If there was a code to the toga colors, Hermione couldn't figure it out yet. Sometimes, it was obvious the color of the belts meant something, but confronted with the general population of the Bibliotheque Hermione couldn't differentiate any type of uniformity.

They rose through a smaller hexagonal room with six doors leading from it in different directions. All its surfaces were dark wood and one door had a silver crescent moon inlaid in it.

"There's the bathroom, if you need it," Asta announced.

Hermione tried not to laugh. Perhaps everything here didn't have a mystical purpose after all.

"Thank you," Hermione said, trying to make her voice sound steady. She suspected Asta only shielded herself when it suited her.

'You are bright,' a voice sounded in her head and Hermione noticed Asta's white hair tinge blue. Hermione had the distinct impression that it was her species' way of blushing.

Asta opened her mind a bit and Hermione got the impression that the girl was insatiably curious about the outside world. She meant no harm, but the other women would disapprove of her firing off questions at Hermione, who was considered an honored guest.

Hermione mentally promised Asta time for her questions as the platform slowed down and halted in a square room with white walls and thick red carpeting.

The banister facing a door with a tiny inlaid edge in bronze slid down. Lexi stepped from the platform and drew her wand from in her folds of fabric.

She drew a small pattern in front of the door and Hermione heard an audible click. Lexi pushed the door open and the other women filed through, Hermione behind them.

The lab was stark white, following a trend Hermione was beginning to notice. The windows were large and let in a lot of daylight.

"Well then," said Nyssa, slapping the front of her leather book brusquely. "Time to work."

Asta quirked a corner of her mouth at Hermione and started walking to a table full of unfamiliar instruments.

After hours of exposure to different forms of stimuli, Hermione, Lexi, Nyssa, and Asta were left frowning at the small pendant.

"Well, that was informative," Asta buzzed, an unimpressed look on her face.

Hermione found Asta was capable of slightly stiff expressions, but it seemed like all her muscles worked independently of each other. Interesting.

"You need to learn that a failure is just as informative as a success," Nyssa chastised as she picked up the shard and watched it swing on the end of its chain.

"Well," Asta said slowly. "It's impervious to fire, won't chill in prolonged cold, and has a horrible habit of reversing an electrical charge."

Lexi snorted, her face bowed over a parchment full of notes.

Hermione had been further surprised to find Asta was capable of creating an electrical charge at will. When Asta reached out to test the shard she had been zapped back by a powerful charge that burned one of her fingertips. It had been easily bandaged, but Asta had taken on an insulted attitude towards the shard.

Lexi had declared it an act of karma for Asta abusing that ability as a small child. Asta had lifted a thin white eyebrow and threatened to charge Lexi's chamber doorknob so powerfully it would take weeks to take the curl out of her hair.

"It also scratches glass, but isn't diamond," Hermione said, getting back to business and squinting over Lexi's shoulder. Lexi noted this and looked at Hermione.

"Is there anything else?" Lexi asked.

"We still need to cover acids and bases," Nyssa said, flipping a page in her leather book.

"That will only take forever," Asta buzzed, lowering her eyebrows.

"There's always tomorrow," Lexi said. "I believe it is time for both of our dinners."

Hermione nodded, for the first time noticing how fatigued she felt.

"Excellent idea," Hermione said. "Is tomorrow fine for you? I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"The intrusion is all ours," Lexi said putting her quill down. "We have no right to ask you to analyze the shard at all. It is a great honor to be allowed to examine it."

"Well, it's a great honor for me to be allowed to study here," said Hermione wincing a little at her choice of words. "If that's what you could call it."

"Tomorrow then," Nyssa said firmly, slapping her book shut. "I think we've all had quite enough for today."

Lexi and Asta started buzzing around the lab cleaning up supplies and instruments. Nyssa pulled Hermione aside.

"I hear your mate is a Potions Master," Nyssa said, her dark eyes gauging Hermiones reaction.

"Yes, he is," Hermione said, wondering if this had to do with the acid and base testing.

"We would be able to recompensate him for consulting if he was willing to help us," Nyssa suggested looking helpful.

"I'll have to ask," Hermione said, hoping her voice sounded non-committal.

Severus was putting extra time into a student he had deemed hopeless, but out of class and away from the other students seemed to do fine. Hermione suggested remedial classes and Severus was astounded at how fast the boy had picked up on things.

Nyssa seemed very grateful and went to lock up a few cabinets, giving Hermione a moment to return the shard to its usual place around her neck. She was starting to feel naked without it.

&&

"What?" Severus asked sharply.

"The shard I got from the Jotun-," Hermione started.

"I heard you," Severus said loudly, getting to his feet from the couch and striding to her across his receiving room in his chambers at Hogwarts. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I just thought it was a bit of jewelry," Hermione said. She was sitting near the window in her reading place, a steaming cup of tea on the small table near her. "We had no proof it was anything else."

Severus held his hand out and Hermione reluctantly slipped the shard from its place around her neck and handed it to him. Her legs unfolded from under her and she placed her book down after marking her page.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" Severus sneered as he undid the leather pouch.

"I'm raising a Chimera under my bed and Aragog has promised me one of his next clutch," Hermione snapped back sarcastically. "Hope you like pets."

Crookshanks meowed loudly near Hermione's feet. He looked distinctly insulted.

"Don't be silly," Hermione murmured as she picked him up and placed him in her lap.

Severus glared at her and lifted the shard up to the light.

'I'm married to the offspring of a god,' Severus mused to himself. For a second he watched red lightning flash through the shard.

"Is there any pattern you can follow?" Severus asked. "With the lights?"

"None I can follow," Hermione said pulling a small notebook and pen out of her robes. Forget quills for note taking. They just weren't practical.

"Will the Amazons mind traveling?" Severus asked.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, thinking instantly of Asta.

"I accept their offer under the insistence that I observe the testing," Severus said returning the shard to the pouch.

"I'll relay the message," Hermione said.


	24. Chapter 24

AU as of Book 6, as if you couldn't figure that out.

Marriage Law Chapter 24

Hermione bustled about the ballroom fidgeting. She was waiting for the Amazonian contingency that was due to arrive to analyze the shard.

Sloozhanka shook her small head as she watched Hermione fuss over small pink flowers in a vase near a window.

Their bickering had started this morning when Hermione had insisted in wearing 'inappropriate clothing for guests of this magnitude.' Hermione had tried to explain that she knew the Amazonians that were coming on a bit of a more personal level and semiformal dress robes were inappropriate for working in.

"These women are madam's friends, yes?" Sloozhanka asked.

"More like colleagues," Hermione said, wondering of Sloozhanka knew what 'colleagues' meant. The flowers kept sagging on the right side in a most uncooperative way. Hermione took her wand out and perked them up a bit. "We are working together and have developed a camaraderie."

"Madame is in a fine family now," Sloozhanka said, placing her tiny fists on her hips. "It is not necessary for Madame to work."

"Madame likes doing something," Hermione said in an annoyed tone, turning to face the elf. "Madame would go batty with nothing to do. Working is interesting."

"There are plenty of things to do," Sloozhanka insisted stubbornly. "Ball season is almost upon us and Madame hasn't even begun to prepare herself."

"Beg pardon," Hermione said taken aback. What on earth was 'ball season?'

Green flames leaped up in the fireplace. Lexi, Asta, and Nyssa stepped through the flames into the Snape ballroom.

"Madame has a responsibility to represent the family socially when the season starts," the little elf snapped briefly before disapperating with a small pop.

"What on earth was that about?" Lexi asked confusedly.

"I'm not entirely sure I want to know." Hermione has a slightly horrified look on her face.

Asta projected an image she must have gleaned from Sloozhanka's mind. Women and men in dress robes swept across a large floor to a classical piece of music. There was an image of Anastasia and Jacob much younger and laughing in an alcove as a very young Severus pirouetted in front of them in very tiny dress robes and tiny curled toe shoes.

"Oh, good lord," Hermione muttered under her breath, in spite of the terribly cute version of Severus.

"As if you need any more to do," Asta remarked.

Hermione made a mental note to ask Severus about Occlumancy.

"Where's that husband of yours?" Lexi peered about. Asta shuffled her feet on the floor and was delighted with the wave effect of the ballroom floor.

"Preparing his lab." Hermione bowed slightly to Nyssa who returned the formality with a small smile. "He'll be ready to receive us and begin as soon as you're ready."

"I want to see a man!" Asta said to Nyssa excitedly. "Are they very tall?"

Hermione blinked. Asta had never seen a man. The chances Nyssa had seen one was minimal as well. This could be interesting.

"My husband is fairly tall," Hermione said slowly as she led them from the ballroom. "Some men are very small. Just like some women are very small."

Asta looked disappointed. Hermione wondered what she had heard about men.

Hermione would have loved to walk them through some of the finer rooms to an extraordinary laboratory, well lit with a high ceiling and spotless instruments whistling and whirring.

Unfortunately, a sullen teenage Severus had decided his lab was best tucked away in a subbasement.

An embarrassed Hermione led the women through the kitchens as they made their way to the basement entrance.

"What is that?" Asta demanded as Hermione reached for the brass knob on the basement door. She turned to see Asta pointing at a bowl of fruit.

"What is what?" Hermione asked.

"Asta!" Nyssa hissed, embarrassed.

Asta looked reproachful. She pointed at a piece of fuzzy orange fruit in the bowl.

"A peach?" Hermione asked blankly.

"Peach." Asta rolled the word around in her mouth. She put her face near it and inhaled deeply. "What are they for?"

"It's fruit. You eat it." Hermione tried not to look confused.

"So it's not just for scent?" Asta asked tentatively reaching out a hand to give the peach a poke.

Nyssa slapped Asta's hand. "Stop that."

Hermione laughed. "I'll be sure to have peaches added to lunch. I think you'll like them very much."

Nyssa looked thankful for the quick solution to a distraction. Hermione had a feeling Asta would have many questions about many things, but Wizarding Studies was not the reason the Amazons were here.

Hermione finally broke down as they made their way through the pantry. "I'm sorry for the informality."

"I wish you had to walk through the kitchens to get to our lab," Lexi laughed as she bit into an apple she had pinched out of a bin.

Kari had opted to stay at the Snape estate for a few weeks following the Final Battle, just to make sure it really was all over. Lexi had visited a bit and had become very comfortable, although Hermione and Severus had been working at Hogwarts and had not been able to join them.

Nyssa sighed resignedly over the younger Amazon's behavior. Hermione patted her on the shoulder and the older woman smiled wearily. "Sometimes it is like getting kittens to obey."

"I know what you mean." Hermione thought of Harry and Ron when they were younger.

The women would their way through the levels of sub basement until they came to a heavy wooden door with a much worn, dusty Slytherin crest on it. Hermione knocked.

The door swung open to reveal Severus puttering about, lighting Bunsen burners and stoking small fires of different colored flame held within stone bowls that ran along a polished black counter.

"Is that Archimedes Light!" Nyssa exclaimed, all protocol aside. She scurried up to examine the contents of the stone bowls.

"It is." Hermione could have sworn Severus smirked for a moment.

"Asta! Come here!" Nyssa barked.

Asta stepped forward and licked her lips at the sight of the bowls. Hermione felt nervous. Archimedes Light was highly volatile. She wasn't even sure why Severus had prepared samples.

"This is a fine example!" Nyssa went on as if the others weren't in the room. "The Jotun used to be masters of Archimedes Light. Once lit, it needs no fuel. Once burned by it, you will be forever scarred."

"It smells wonderful!" Asta said, practically swooning.

The others looked at her quizzically. There was no smell.

"You smell something?" Nyssa asked?

"Like daydreams and nightmares!" Asta said excitedly. "Wishes and hopes and desires and secrets!"

She picked up a bowl and inhaled deeply. Snape moved to take it from her before she hurt herself, but he watched as the flames licked her face harmlessly. She should have been screaming. He looked at Nyssa, but she looked bewildered.

Before they could do anything, Asta lifted the bowl to her lips and gulped the contents down.

Nyssa let out a tiny scream. Lexi dropped her apple and covered her mouth with her hands.

Asta stood there for a moment. Then she burped. Tiny bolts of lightening shot out of her mouth. She looked embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry. Don't know what came over me. That was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."

"Good Lord," Severus swayed a bit on his feet.

"How do you feel?" Nyssa demanded. She had grabbed Asta by the forearms and was practically shaking her. She looked terrified.

"Like your head does after your third cup of tea in the morning." Asta said. She looked slightly giddy.

Nyssa let go of Asta. "Years with you and we still know practically nothing."

"I didn't know either." Asta reasoned with her. "But it was lovely. Do you think maybe I can have another?"

"Hello, Severus," Lexi said, finally acknowledging him as she searched the floor for her apple. "And how has your morning been?"

"Hello," said Severus, weakly. "Fine, with the exception of your friend gulping down toxins like cocktails. Any more surprises for me?"

"What's a cocktail?" Asta asked inquisitively.

"Nothing you need," Hermione interjected quickly. "Ever." Severus raised an eyebrow. "Just try not to drink any more fire until we're done using it."

Asta seemed to be pleased with the idea of another tasty drink later. Nyssa looked at her suspiciously. Hermione wondered if Asta was a little drunk. Severus seemed not to mind and gave Asta a bowl of fresh peas to shell to distract her.

"What is that for?" Nyssa asked Severus quietly as she kept an eye on Asta.

"Lunch."

"Smart."

-+-+-

Hours later Severus and the ladies made their way back to the kitchens. Asta was giddy with 4 cups of Archimedes Light. Severus had reasoned it was easier than trying to dispose of it and Nyssa had given up protesting.

The research had been discouraging. They knew nothing more about the shard, except it didn't seem to react to anything at all. As far as Severus could tell it was nothing more than an indestructible night light.

"Well, you can't expect them to relinquish a powerful magic item," Lexi shrugged.

"But it's a piece of the rainbow bridge," Nyssa insisted. "It's sacred. There has to be something we're missing."

"The path to the other planes may have been a sacred thing to the humans, but it was just a road to the Gods until it was shattered," Severus shrugged. "Albeit a road with very limited access."

Nyssa looked at Severus skeptically.

"I think it's time to consult the epics," Nyssa said slowly.

"We don't have access to the epics." Asta was sniffing at a plate of cut up peach curiously. "Brotherhood holds the epics. Too bad they can't read them." She gave a buzzing giggle as she reached out a finger and roasted the peach with a small snap of lightening from her fingertip.

Severus and Hermione glanced at each other. It was apparent neither of them had a clue and neither of them were sure it was appropriate to ask.

"You have family in the brotherhood." Lexi leveled a look at Severus.

Asta looked at Hermione. Hermione saw every reference to Pieter she had in her mind flash before her eyes.

"What in blazes was that!" Severus thundered as he shook his head.

"I think she may have a bit of a control problem when drunk." Lexi looked apologetic.

"You ripped right through my barriers!" Severus accused.

"What barriers?" Asta slurred slightly. "Can we go to the lake later?"

Nyssa looked alarmed as Asta swooned. Severus leaped forward and caught Asta before she banged into the kitchen table. She snored loudly.

"Dear God!" Nyssa looked annoyed.

"We can have her moved to a bedroom while she sleeps it off." Hermione tried to look hopeful. "Severus can see if he can get a hold of Pieter."

Nyssa relaxed visibly. Hermione wasn't sure if this is from the tentative offer of help from the brotherhood, or avoiding taking a drunken Asta back to the Amazons immediately.

-+-+-

Green flames leaped in the ballroom fireplace and Hermione, Lexi, and Nyssa curtsied as three representatives from the Brotherhood strode through the flames. They had agreed to meet at such short notice, but seemed offended they were not informed of the pendant when it was first acquired. .

Pieter looked very handsome in the robes the brothers wore. They were a thick fabric of burgundy and black.

The older gentleman in the party looked stern as his eyes fell on Hermione. He was taller than Pieter, but nearing an elderly state. His white hair was cropped close to his head and his skin looked as if he didn't see the sun much.

The third man was Viktor Krum. He winked at Hermione as they bowed back to the Amazons.

When this formality was done, Viktor stepped forward and scooped Hermione up in a hug. She squeaked in surprise. She saw Severus frowning deeply out of the corner of her eye.

"Viktor!" Pieter laughed. He stepped forward to shake the hand and kiss the cheek of Lexi. "Put my dear cousin down! We are supposed to appear mysterious and regal." Anna had insisted the girls come visit during their visit after the Final Battle and Pieter was quite fond of Lexi and Kari.

"Don't know why I even bother." The elder man shook his head. Nyssa looked at him sympathetically.

"Let us see this bit of jewelry you carry." Pieter peered at Hermione. "It seems that Muggle bloodlines can be far more valuable than we formerly gave them credit for."

Viktor gave Hermione a proud look as Pieter shot a look at the older gentleman. Hermione wasn't surprised the Brotherhood had prejudices against non magical people. Most of the time they were so isolated they had no cause to come in contact with Muggles.

The older man stayed silent, but looked at Hermione, waiting for her to show the pendant.

Hermione pulled the silver chain with a leather pouch wrapped around the pendant from beneath her robes. She fought her hair as she pulled it from over her head and handed it to the older gentleman when he held his hand out.

Pieter breathed in as the pouch was removed.

"Extraordinary." The grey haired man squinted at the lights inside. "Have you figured out how to read it yet?"

"Read it?" Hermione whispered faintly.

"It seems as if we have some translations to trade." Pieter looked at the older man meaningfully.

"It seems as if we may."


	25. Chapter 25

AN: After a review I just received I am really concerned. Please, if you are underage, do not read adult rated fanfiction. Also, if you are above age and have a problem with married couples having sex, do not read my fanfic. Although Severus and Hermione are both dysfunctional in their own ways, they have developed a healthy relationship and my fic is not 'ruined' by them having sex. If that is truly the way you feel, please get therapy before you ruin some poor guys life.

Chapter 25

Hermione smiled pleasantly as she surveyed the table in front of her. History was being made tonight. Mudblood, pureblood, Amazons, Jotun, and members of the Brotherhood all sat at the same table, exchanging ideas and enjoying a pleasant meal. She felt as if all were right in the world.

Then a small bun hit Asta on the side of the head. Lexi stifled a giggle.

"Tatiana!" Anna cried out embarrassedly. Anna scolded her second youngest child.

Asta made a funny face at the tiny girl that was still squealing in delight. "She has quite good aim. Have you handed her a javelin yet to see what she can do?"

Hermione stifled a laugh at Anna's expression.

"I think perhaps she should be steadier on her feet first." Anna moved all other easily thrown food away from her Tatiana.

"We will take you to the range when you are steadier on your feet." Asta spoke in slow English to the little girl. "And see what you can do with a bow."

Anna looked less than thrilled, but Pieter's booming laugh filled the Snape dining hall.

"So we will have a Fire Dancer, a dragon trainer, and a warrioress! What an interesting time we will have!" He waved his wine glass with emphasis. "I wonder what little Boris will have in store for us!"

"Boris will be a dentist!" Misha howled with laughter. Hermione chuckled as she stirred the last of her after dinner tea. Misha had been far too interested in teeth lately after learning what Hermiones Muggle parents did for a living. Hermione wondered what her own children would drive her mad with.

The elder gray haired man from the Brotherhood shook his head and chuckled. Hermione had learned Nicolai was an expert in translations from the Brotherhood's scholar caste and didn't get out much.

"Nicolai, are the novices this ill behaved?" Anna looked at her giggling children exasperatedly.

"Most of our novices are a bit older than this, but in large numbers they certainly don't act like it." Nicolai buttered the bun that had ricocheted off Asta's head and onto his plate and took a bite. "Although we do have our ways of making them behave." He looked at Misha darkly.

The little boy gulped.

Anna waved her wand at her children and cleaned them off. Then she scooped Boris up into her arms and shooed the children from the dining room. "It is obvious from all this playing that you are done eating."

Pieter chuckled merrily and smiled at Nicolai. "Gardening is not all that frightening if I remember correctly."

"Yes, but it's tedious and repetitive and young ones hate it." Nicolai waved a hand and his wine glass refilled itself.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to retire to the study where we can talk about negotiations." Nyssa looked at Nicolai.

His eyes crinkled up as he gave her a small smile. "Of course."

They all rose from the table and made their way to Jacob's study. Asta seemed particularly enamored with the grass floor of the dining room and shuffled her feet softly as they left.

Severus led them into his father's study where he assured Asta there would be more tea waiting for them, along with the research notes they had gone over previous to dinner.

"The method of research you used was quite complex." Nicolai said with a patronizing note in his voice. "It was not your fault you didn't understand what you had."

Nyssa gave him an annoyed look. "Well perhaps if the Brotherhood didn't keep its linguistic studies so secret we wouldn't have had this problem and wouldn't have wasted so much time with so much at stake."

"We have no idea if this leads to anything of interest." Nicolai brushed her off. "For all we know it could be a translation of Jingle Bells."

"Or it could trigger something totally destructive." Nyssa's chin stuck out stubbornly.

"I thought we'd ruled that out." Asta interrupted, getting an annoyed look from both Nyssa and Nicolai.

Pieter gave Hermione a tired look and Viktor heaved a sigh. Nyssa and Nicolai had begun bickering about the way the Amazons had handled the artifact soon after their introductions.

"Anyway," Hermione began in a frustrated tone. "Can it be easily translated or is it something out of your expertise?"

Nicolai puffed up his chest and Viktor flinched.

"You expect a translation of this caliber would be easy! Of course it's not easy! It's going to be exceedingly difficult! All of our resources will have to be considered and in the long run it may be more expensive that you could possibly imagine!"

"Without her you would have nothing. It would be wise to remember that if you want to be involved in this project." Severus cocked an eyebrow at Nicolai.

"Not be involved?" Nicolai blustered at Severus. Hermione noticed Pieter smiled into the glass of wine he was still holding. "You wouldn't even know it was a language if not for us!"

"I'm sure we would have figured it out eventually." Severus gave Nicolai a bored look and went for a tea service in the corner of his fathers study. He poured out a cup for Asta and handed it to her. "Your involvement was merely a shortcut. As you say, it may be a trinket that has no valuable properties whatsoever."

Nicolai threw a furious look at Nyssa, as if she had prompted Severus to make his statement. She smirked at Nicolai's expression. Severus continued serving tea to the others.

"So can it be done?" Hermione said as she impatiently took her teacup from Severus a bit rougher than normal and sloshed tea into her saucer. "Or will I go put it in my jewelry box and only take it out when I feel like a bit of disco?"

"Disco?" Nicolai looked puzzled.

"Hermione, even if the Brotherhood will not help, I will." Viktor looked tired as he smiled at Hermione. "This negotiation is tedious and I have had very little sleep."

"First children are always a shock." Pieter nodded at Viktor sympathetically. "You will get used to it."

"Pieter!" Nicolai barked at his fellow Brother.

"Viktor is right, this is tedious and we know we will be involved. It is time to stop fighting. For good." Pieter leveled a hard look at Nyssa. She scowled.

"You are swayed because family is involved." Nicolai declared.

"And you are swayed because you are a stubborn, boring cleric with nothing better to do with your time than become more unpleasant." Pieter fired back as he set his wine glass roughly down on the corner of Jacob's desk.

Viktor snorted the tea he had been drinking through his nose. Asta laughed hysterically.

"You know, some of us have decided women are pleasant and are willing to hold civil conversation with them." Pieter took a cup of tea from Severus and nodded graciously. Then he pulled a small flask from inside his robed and poured a small dollop of amber liquid into his teacup. "You should spend some more time with my daughters. They are quite charming when not flinging buns across the table."

"Fine," Nicolai snapped. "But when these temptresses take off with all of our secrets you'll have no one but yourself to blame!"

"Temptresses?" Lexi looked complimented. Asta looked down at her attire, confused.

Nyssa looked completely shocked before she began blustering.

"Well, I- see here, you- I mean-," Nyssa took a deep breath. "We're wasting time! This is ludicrous!"

"Fine," Nicolai said stiffly. "We want observation time with the relic, access to the prophecy you've been concealing, and our whales back."

"What?" Hermione whispered to Severus.

He shrugged and frowned.

"What do you offer?" Nyssa asked suspiciously.

"The languages of Light and Dark, Fire and Stone." Nicolai looked as if making the offer pained him.

"Well, we want the stars back." Nyssa looked annoyed.

"Done." Pieter clapped his hands together and grabbed Lexi's head roughly, planting a sound kiss on her cheek. "Now we celebrate!"

"No singing!" Anna looked horrified as she entered the room. "And I think you have had quite enough excitement for one night!"

"Quite." Nicolai said brusquely. "I will go report the result of our negotiations so we can begin preparations of the knowledge transfer."

With a spin of his dark robes and an imperious sniff he apperated with a loud pop.

"You can apperate to the Brotherhood hideout?" Hermione asked Viktor.

"No, but Mageeya Topeek is full of vodka and friendly women this time of night and Nicolai does not get out much."

Pieter snorted and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "We do not get out much anymore, either. Let us follow Nicolai and visit Mageeya Topeek for a nightcap."

Pieter teetered dangerously in Anna's direction and Lexi grabbed one of his arms to steady him.

"I have a better idea." Anna ran a finger along the side of Pieters face seductively, scratching the dark curls she encountered, batting her eyes coquettishly. "Why don't we stay in? Meet me upstairs, my handsome husband?"

Pieter growled and puffed out his chest. Hermione saw Severus disguise a laugh as a cough. She turned around to refill her teacup and hoped Pieter couldn't see her shoulders shaking.

"I will be waiting for you, my sweet." Pieter swayed back in the other direction and Anna steadied him before he fell on top of Lexi. He growled like a bear.

"Oh dear God," Severus chuckled as he 'helped' Hermione serve herself another cup of tea.

"Go up and prepare the chambers." Anna pushed him in the direction of the door, giving him a slap on his behind.

Pieter turned on her suddenly and gave her a sound kiss. "Temptress!"

"I'll be there in a moment." Anna gave him a pat on his chest.

"I will be waiting!" Pieter leered at her.

When he finally disappeared Anna heaved a sigh of relief. "Tea?"

As Hermione handed Anna a cup of tea she realized Anna had pinched Pieters flask with her final good bye pat.

"How on earth do you put up with that nonsense?" Lexi let out a peal of laughter.

"If that is the least trouble he gets into in an evening I am thankful." Anna splashed some of the contents of Pieters flask into her tea.

"Do they growl often?" Asta's eyes were wide.

"Not often enough." Hermione muttered under her breath. Severus let out a low rumble only she could hear. She giggled.

"Only when they are at their most troublesome," Anna said wisely.

Asta nodded with her eyes wide. Nyssa suppressed a laugh.

"Those were the most trouble free negotiations I've ever heard of." Lexi shook her head. "Mother will be amazed."

"What did you mean, by asking for the stars back?" Hermione asked curiously.

"The Brotherhood was severely annoyed when they could not find the tower to attack when we were at war." Nyssa said as she flopped down into a burgundy armchair and accepted a cup of tea from Severus. "So they enchanted the sky for miles around our approximate area so the stars shift at night."

"No navigation?" Hermione asked.

"And no astronomy, astrology, divination…" Lexi took a sip from her cup. "It's hindered us for eons."

"And all they wanted were their stupid whales back." Nyssa chuckled.

"I understand they were most relaxing to watch." Viktor said as he stared into his teacup. "And quite tasty."

Hermione made a face. "I'll take your word for it."

"I know there was more to it than that," Viktor admitted. "But I have no idea what it was."

"Well, maybe you'll find out." Anna patted Viktor on the head. "Now you should go home and get some rest."

"There's no rest for me there." Viktor groaned. "I'm not sure I remember what sleep was like."

"They'll be sleeping through the night soon," Anna said sympathetically. "Then they will be learning to walk."

Asta snickered at Viktor's expression.

"And talk." Nyssa added.

"And how to create a distraction while the other is doing something naughty." Hermione giggled, thinking about Fred and George Weasley.

"I should just surrender now and save time." Viktor said, gathering his robes and standing up.

"We'll see you tomorrow Viktor." Hermione went to her old friend and gave him a hug. "Give our best to Tristan and the twins."

"Of course." Viktor looked at Hermione with a soft look. He kissed her on the forehead. Severus looked annoyed. "Perhaps we will have time to visit before you have to leave."

"That would be lovely." Hermione said. "We would love to have you before we have to return to Hogwarts."

Viktor and the Amazons were walked to the ballroom, despite Asta's protests and Severus and Hermione said their goodbyes while Anna slipped upstairs before Pieter began looking for her.

When the green flames died down in the fireplace Severus put an arm around Hermione's waist.

"I think we made history tonight." Hermione said softly.

"Hopefully, just a footnote." Severus chuckled. "I don't want to put up with nosy reporters and historical archivists."

"Well, since no one knows about the pendant, I'm sure we'll be kept out of it."

Hermione put a hand on Severus' shoulder to reassure him. He surprised her by swooping her up in his arms for an impromptu waltz.

He winced slightly as she flattened his toes.

"Didn't you have to lead a dance once?" Severus chided.

"Four years ago and I took an agility potion." Hermione sniffed. "I have more interesting things to do than flit about a dance floor."

"We'll see about that," Severus said, one eyebrow arched at her. "Ball season is soon and we'll be expected to make an appearance."

"I don't remember you disappearing during the winter holidays to do a bit of dancing before." Hermione sniffed. "Harry said you always flapped about the halls and caused general discomfort."

"Well, I wasn't married before." Severus looked a bit annoyed himself. "Now I'm expected to unveil you at a social event the size of the Quidditch World Cup like a prize cow."

"Well, moo to you, too!" Hermione dropped her arms.

"You know what I mean." Severus said testily. "It's archaic and a waste of time."

"You enjoyed them when you were young!" Hermione fired back. She wasn't sure what they were arguing about at this point.

"Don't listen to that daft elf! She wallows in nostalgia!"

"Asta showed me and you were charming." Hermione crossed her arms.

Severus flushed. "Well, she's daft, too."

"Are we really going to have to do this?" Hermione asked.

"Not if we escape to France with my parents." Severus winced. "I'd almost rather go to the balls."

"I would think your mother would love this sort of thing." Hermione frowned.

"Not since she's not the youngest or prettiest anymore." Severus snorted.

Hermione laughed. "That makes sense. So no eligible people go?"

"They can and most do," Severus said slowly. "But it's not necessary, especially if one is not into attending social events."

"So you haven't gone since…" Hermione hazarded.

"My fifth year at Hogwarts."

"Oh my."

"I would hardly know anyone anymore and there will be hundreds of people."

"As many as the World Cup."

"Perhaps that was an exaggeration, but you won't be able to talk to many of them." Severus said with a pained look on his face.

"Why not?"

"They do speak Russian here, Hermione."

"Oh."

Hermione looked at her husband.

He was tall and handsome. Well, at least to her he was. He looked so handsome on their wedding day. What did people wear to balls, anyway?

"Do Anna and Pieter go to the balls?"

"I have no idea if they go anymore." Severus sighed. "But I know they're going to France for Christmas so they'll be missing the Christmas Ball. It's the main event."

"I wouldn't put it past your mother to have something planned." Hermione smirked.

"You have a point." Severus gathered Hermione in his arms. "But let's not worry about it for now."

Hermione pushed herself away from her husband. "I could learn to dance if I wanted to."

"I have no doubt. You excel at everything you attempt. As long as a broomstick isn't involved."

"I've heard about your broomstick abilities." Hermione sniffed imperiously. "And they're nothing to brag about."

"I never said they were." Severus frowned, bewildered.

"I mean I could learn to dance if you wanted me to."

Severus broke out into one of his rare smiles.

"I am not refusing you a ball if you want, and I am not embarrassed to be seen with a clod footed Mudblood. I'm sure you would be the loveliest, most intelligent woman at the ball and I am proud to be married to you."

"Alright then," Hermione said, making a face at him.

"See." Severus said as he kissed her forehead. "Lovely."


	26. Chapter 26

Marriage Law Chapter 26

Hermione and Severus stepped through the fireplace in their chambers at Hogwarts and brushed the soot from their robes. Severus let out an exhausted sound as he dropped onto the couch in front of a stack of scrolls that still needed to be graded.

"I will sincerely be glad when school lets out for the holidays and we won't have to travel back and forth." Severus reached for the stack of scrolls.

"I'll remember that when you're bickering with your mother." Hermione smirked.

Severus winced.

"I'm more than capable of grading a stack of First Year scrolls." Hermione said softly. "Go to bed."

"You make me feel like an old man, you know." Severus leaned his head back on the couch and took a deep breath. Hermione noticed the curve of his eyelashes resting on his face as his eyes closed and thought he didn't look too old to her.

"Well, go to bed, grandpa. You have to get up early tomorrow."

Severus snorted at her. "Fine. I surrender. Off to bed I go."

Severus groaned as he forced himself to stand. Hermione gave his bottom a pat as he turned toward his bedroom. "I'll make you feel like a young man later."

He turned and smiled at her wearily. "I'll be looking forward to it."

Severus walked into his room and his door quietly closed behind him.

"_Emicoatus." _Hermione heard a meow and a thump as Crookshanks jumped of the bed to greet her as she walked into her room. "Hello Crookshanks."

Hermione reached down to pet the large orange long haired cat as he wound his way around her legs. "I missed you too."

Crookshanks jumped back onto the large canopied bed and meowed expectantly as Hermione changed into light blue fuzzy pajamas. He purred deeply and kneaded his paws into her thick blue comforter.

"Not quite, sweetie," Hermione reached out to scratch behind Crookshanks' ears. "I have to play student teacher for a bit."

Crookshanks curled up on the bed and yawned widely.

"I'll be back in a bit."

Crookshanks settled his head down and sighed deeply.

Hermione waved her wand and enchanted her robe and slippers with a warming spell before slipping them on. She tied the belt of her robes tightly around her waist and padded back to the sitting room, tying her hair back as she walked.

She had just settled on the couch and was reaching for the first scroll when green flames leapt up in the small fireplace.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you at this late hour." Dumbledore looked at Hermione's pajamas.

"Not at all." Hermione smiled wearily. "Come in."

Dumbledore climbed through the fireplace and joined Hermione on the couch. "He has you grading papers for him now?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I offered." Hermione waved her hand at the table. "He looked exhausted."

"Thank you for taking all of this so well." Dumbledore looked at Hermione seriously. "This is quite a load on your shoulders."

"It's the chance of a lifetime and I'm glad to be able to help." Hermione said. She pulled her wand out of her robe pocket and waved it at the tea set in the corner. It began steaming momentarily and she served herself and the headmaster tea.

"How did negotiations go?"

"The Brotherhood wants their whales back." Hermione shrugged. "As well as an information exchange and observation time with the pendant."

Dumbledore nodded and blew on his tea. "And what did they offer?"

"The languages of Light and Dark, Fire and Stone. And the Amazons stars back."

"Really?" Dumbledore sounded mildly surprised. "They must really want their hands on that stone."

Hermione's hand instinctively went to the leather pouch around her neck. "Why would you say that?"

"Because they've been keeping those languages secret since before wizards had an organized community. Those secrets are older than Hogwarts."

"So the Brotherhood is older than Hogwarts?"

"The Brotherhood has always been."

Hermione shivered slightly. What was Viktor really a part of? "I thought they were a private school. Like a university."

"Not quite. More like a society for privileged families. You must be born of certain bloodlines to be able to be considered for membership, although there are tests and ordeals one may put oneself through to prove worthiness."

"What happens if you fail?"

"I would imagine death. Although no ones ever been seen afterwards if they failed a trial. I suppose they could be simply transformed into something non human or simply enslaved."

Hermione felt the blood drain from her face.

The door to Severus room opened and Severus slunk out wearing his fluffy yellow robe. Dumbledore didn't bat an eye. Apparently he had seen the robe before.

"Good evening, Severus. I hope we were not too loud."

"Not at all, Headmaster. I recognized your voice and determined you were debriefing Hermione."

"You should go back to bed, Severus. Thank you for the tea and conversation at this late hour," Dumbledore said apologetically to Hermione. "We really should all be going to bed. Severus, take the day off. Your students will be thrilled."

Severus gave the headmaster a sour look as the old man retreated into the fireplace.

Hermione giggled. "He's right, you know."

"About me needing a day off or my students being thrilled?" Severus drew his arms around her.

"Probably a bit of both." She snuggled into his arms and inhaled deeply.

"So, you had this theory about how to recapture my youth?" Severus dipped his head down and caught her earlobe in his lips.

"I may have a few ideas." Hermione lightly kissed his shoulder.

He reached down and cupped her buttocks in his hands. Her hands wound their way up his chest, over his shoulders, sliding over his jaw line to finally meet each other, entangled in his hair.

He felt Hermione's soft curves against him. His body responded favorably. Then he felt her pulling his hair. Hard.

Before he could protest he felt her shoving him down onto the couch.

"You're tired, remember?"

Severus reached for her again as she smirked at him. Actually, he found himself feeling quite wide awake.

She fumbled for the waistband of his pajama bottoms and he helped her pull them down.

She pulled his hair harder. "Did I tell you to help?"

"No, madam. Forgive me." Severus was a bit taken aback at the gleam in her eye, but he was quite taken by this change of mood. He laid his arms along the back of the couch.

He closed his eyes and felt her sink down on him, her robes pulled up and her knickers pulled to the side.

"Do you want to come?"

"Oh yes." Severus said softly as she churned her hips on him. He was enjoying this thoroughly. "Oh yes, please."

"All in good time." She laughed merrily and began undulating her spine.

Severus flicked his wrist and his wand snapped into his hand from up his robe sleeve. With a gentle wave he magicked their clothes off.

He was rewarded with a gentle slap in the face.

"Did I tell you to do that?" Hermione hissed before she kissed him roughly and bit his bottom lip.

"It was so pleasurable I was convinced my soul could not remain in this mortal shell much longer, and if I were to die without gazing upon your perfect form once more I would die a truly sad man indeed." He looked truly mournful.

Hermione burst out laughing.

Severus much enjoyed the feeling of his wife laughing around his member. He quirked a corner of his mouth at her.

"Do I please you, wife?"

"Completely." Hermione sighed and kissed him. She savored the feeling of their lips together.

They heard a sniffle and they both turned sharply to look at Helga's mirror.

To their horror, Helga was in her mirror and she wasn't alone. The Fat Lady and Sir Cadogen were with her.

Hermione squeaked in terror and scrambled for her robes, which thankfully, were nearby on the floor.

Helga was wiping a tear from her eye and the Fat Lady had a hand over her heart and was smiling at them. Sir Cadogen was beaming and he winked at Severus lasciviously.

"What on earth are you doing?!" Severus thundered.

"Well, we were going to play cards, but we found ourselves confronted with… quite the display." Helga tittered.

"Good lord." Hermione groaned from the floor. She had her robes tucked up under her arms, shielding her from the mirror but giving Severus a clear view of her bottom.

It was quite a charming bottom. He took a moment to admire it.

"Severus!"

"What?" Severus looked at his wife.

"Cover the mirror!"

Severus looked at both his hands cupped over his lap, then back at her. "You have to be joking."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of dear." The Fat Lady volunteered. "It looks as if you have quite the little friend."

Sir Cadogen roared. Hermione looked scandalized. Both other ladies laughed and Severus turned red.

"Come ladies," Sir Cadogen took both their arms. "I know of a quiet painting in the charms classroom where we can play cards in a field of daises on a bright spring day."

Both ladies consented and waved at Hermione as they stepped out of view in the mirror.

Severus looked at Hermione and started tugging on himself.

She turned red as she watched him do this.

"This embarrasses you?"

"It just seems like a private thing."

"Lay on the floor."

Hermione grinned and lay back.

She felt him kiss his way up her thighs and she buried her hands in his hair as he buried his face in her.

"This is a private thing and you aren't-" Severus looked at her cheeks and realized they were flaming red. "Oh you are terribly embarrassed."

"Stop it." She writhed as he slid a finger into her.

"This is wonderful." He chuckled. He reached up and cupped her breast.

She bucked her hips on him and he watched as blood rushed to her lips and face.

"You're going to get on your hands and knees now." Severus said calmly.

Hermione nodded and turned over. She looked horribly embarrassed.

She really did have a fetching bottom.

He entered her swiftly and roughly and she cried out, but pushed back against him.

Hermione felt her climax rise quickly, intensified by the feeling of Severus fingers digging into her hips. She screamed his name.

To her surprise she felt him withdraw and he flipped her over. She knocked her head on the coffee table slightly.

He pushed the offending furniture out of the way and entered her again. Hermione cried out in surprise.

"Again." Severus started biting her shoulder and grinding into her. "Love me again."

"Forever, I swear." Hermione cried out as she climaxed again.

Severus pounded into her for a few moments more before she felt him tense up. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered his name as he cried out hers.

He collapsed on her, great breaths heaving in his chest and sweat on his forehead.

She stroked his damp, long black hair and smiled pleasantly.

His breathing became more normal. He nuzzled her neck, kissing her earlobe and settling his head on her shoulder.

She sighed contentedly. She wondered if Severus was half as comfortable as she was.

Then he snored.

Loudly.

With his nose wedged firmly in her ear.

Dear Lord, that answered that question. Hermione struggled to get out from under him.

Severus made a discontent sound and started awake.

"I'm awake!"

"Then that was just an air drill, was it?" Hermione shook her head as she sat up. She put a finger in her ear and wiggled it.

"Could have been. Perhaps you fell asleep and dreamed it."

"I certainly didn't dream the ringing in my ears."

"A physical response to psychological trauma. Not unheard of."

"Nice try."

"I really am exhausted. I'm sorry."

Hermione laughed. "I know. Gods, you're funny."

"Are you staying?"

"I think Crookshanks can enjoy spreading out tonight." Hermione grinned at her husband. "Let me put you to bed."

"Really? To actually sleep this time?"

Hermione sighed and kissed Severus on the forehead. "To actually sleep this time."

-+-+-

McGonagall looked out over the Great Hall during breakfast, trying not to stare at the empty chairs Hermione and Snape normally occupied. Albus was late as well and that made her nervous.

Hagrid lumbered up to the table and into a seat near McGonagall. She tried not to appear nervous, but he was nearly wringing his hands.

"Anything yet?"

"No." McGonagall said firmly. "And even if there was, breakfast in the Great Hall is hardly the place to be discussing it."

"Dinner at Mr. Potter's tomorrow would be a much better location." Dumbledore's voice came from behind them.

McGonagall turned and gave Dumbledore a withering look. "Sleeping in?"

"It was such a beautiful morning I decided to take a walk in the gardens. It gave me a chance to try out a personal warming charm I read about in the Antarctic edition of _Rugged Wizard._"

McGonagall looked at the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall and saw the blustering snow was still falling at great speed.

"Nice to see you're still alive." Hagrid turned his attention back to his breakfast as soon as he realized Dumbledore was at ease and all must have gone well. "I expect it worked well enough."

"Better after the Gravitational Distortion Charm cancelled out the wind." Dumbledore smiled as he took his place near McGonagall.

She stared at him, her lips in a tight, straight line. He patted her shoulder reassuringly.

She relaxed a bit. Everything must have gone well.

Or at least well enough that it could wait to discuss later.


	27. Chapter 27

AN: I apologize for the presence of Dumbledore. This story was started before book 5 and going back and changing everything would change the fic entirely.

Also: in the book, Hermione is not offended to be called a Mudblood, Ron is offended. Hermione just thinks Draco is dumb. (A recurring theme.) Because Snape's family is so haughty, Snape calls her Mudblood in a teasing way when they are alone because it is clear she has accomplished more by the time she turns 19 then most pure blooded witches do in their lifetimes. He's bringing home the fact that all most his other choices in a partner had to offer was a bloodline, while she is the real prize and came from what the Russian wizards would consider peasantry.

People in mixed race relationships tease each other about things it would be improper for other people to say and comment on, much as it is common for a Muggle male to get ornery during a football game and 'order his woman' to get back in the kitchen to get him a beer and snacks. He knows she could beat the hell out of him if he were serious, much like Snape knows Hermione can hex his winky into oblivion, but he does it anyway to be a smart ass.

Snape calls her Mudblood when she is at her best or when he is teasing her. (Like when she talks about being 'unveiled' during Russian Social Season and Snape compares it to showing off a new farm animal.) He knows she is better than the rest, and he never does it in a mean way. Hermione knows very well she's the outcast in a foreign Wizarding community that treats Muggle-borns centuries behind the British Wizarding world. (Many in Russia see Hermione as nothing more than an over privileged slave.)

Marriage Law Chapter 27

Hermione watched Dumbledore deeply breathe in the scent of Molly Weasley's thick, steaming onion soup. He broke into a large golden brown bun and held it over his wooden bowl as a few drops of melted butter fell out.

"Thank you, Molly for another spectacular meal." Arthur raised his goblet of wine at his wife.

"Hear, hear!" Neville said cheerfully as he raised his goblet. If Neville had it his way, Molly would cook here every night.

Gregory Goyle nodded, his mouth full of soup soaked bun. Padma and Parvarti elbowed him from either side. He put his bun down and raised his goblet, trying to swallow quickly as his wives looked satisfied. Luna Lovegood looked on, amused.

Severus shuddered. Gregory's ability to be molded was alarmingly easy. They were lucky Voldemort never showed interest and gave him direction.

Or just gave him a woman to nag him into being competent. That seemed amazingly effective. If Voldemort had come up with this arranged partnership idea years ago they might have actually gotten somewhere.

He imagined an infuriated, captured Hermione being brought to him as his forced bride.

In his fantasy he cackled evilly before he tamed her with his mighty penis. The more she climaxed, the angrier she got with him.

She would fight for domination in their bedchamber, the metaphor for good vs. evil being personified in their coupling, each desperately fighting for the upper hand. Their lovemaking would be angry, fierce, and feral.

She may even draw blood with her nails and teeth. He would pull her hair and taste sweat off her neck as he tugged her head back so she would be exposed to him.

Severus glanced at his wife eating dinner beside him. He found his eyes were being drawn to his Hermione's bust. He was glad his robes were voluminous. He hoped this meeting was going to be short.

She certainly seemed to be confident enough to try and dominate him in their quarters. He had spied the moving pictures of her rooms and saw the restraints on her bed. Perhaps she wouldn't be opposed to playing the helpless female victim. He could sound proof the walls and they could really make some noise.

Perhaps - his breath caught in his throat – perhaps she would tie him up first. So he could show her there was nothing to be afraid of. To keep her confidence up. Perhaps she would even hurt him a bit.

Severus Snape was sitting at a dinner with the Order of the Phoenix and his cock was so hard it was beginning to hurt.

Under the table, he pretended to adjust the napkin in his lap and ran his hand up his wife's thigh. He slightly swiped her crotch with his fingertips.

Hermione choked on her soup.

He was brought back to reality as Molly Weasley banged the heavy pot with the remainder of the soup on the table in front of him.

He was sincerely glad Molly Weasley was abhorrently pathetic at Legilimency. If she knew how depraved those last trains of thoughts were she'd Crucio him on the spot.

And he knew he deserved it.

But he'd still find out if she fancied the idea of at least one of them getting tied up. That was the least depraved thought he had.

From the way she was tickling his knee, he knew she was up to a bit of physical love later. He looked at her face and she smiled at him.

She really was a very pretty girl. He smirked at her.

She held her cheerful smile as she tickled her way up his leg and firmly gripped his erection.

He gasped, sincerely glad no one was looking at them.

Then just as quickly, she let go of him and raised her goblet to Molly Weasley. She smirked at him.

Dear Lords, what was the woman trying to do to him?!

Mrs. Longbottom, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, and Remus Lupin stopped bickering about a new security spell published in _Progressive Theoretical Magicks_ long enough to raise their glasses.

Ron and Harry clapped wildly, as if they had been starving for months. From the amount of take out boxes Hermione had helped them clear out before everyone else got there it wasn't far from the truth.

How much nutritional value was in fish and chips, anyway? And someone needed to inform them that curry, while being very tasty, was not a food group.

Fred and George, who had turned into quite competent cooks after leaving their mother's house, carried heaping bowls of steaming vegetables to the table as Molly opened the oven to reveal several chickens baked to a crisp golden brown.

"Thank you," Molly said as she examined the chickens. "Now help me get these out."

Arthur hopped up from his seat and helped Molly as Dumbledore clinked his fork to the side of his goblet to get everyone's attention.

"As most of you know, there has been quite a stir about a gift Hermione received from the Jotun after the attack on the Ministry. After delicate negotiation with the Amazons and the Brotherhood they have decided to enter into a mutually beneficial project in deciphering the significance of the object and what it means for us."

"They could have just given her a trinket." Ron said as he soaked up some soup with his bread, looking longingly at the steaming chickens being put on large stone platters.

"The Jotun never 'just do' anything." Severus said darkly. He really didn't trust that thing.

"I cannot believe you would just let her traipse about with that around her neck, Severus." Molly chided him as she set a platter of chicken in front of him and Hermione.

"The bloody woman didn't even mention it to me!" Severus exploded, looking severely annoyed. "Could have gotten herself killed or transformed or worse!"

Hermione gave him a dirty look.

His almost-gone erection sprang back to life.

"We know it's not harmful now." Fred said. He smiled and licked his lips as a baked chicken floated to rest between he and his twin.

"We don't really know anything." Harry said quietly.

Dumbledore looked at Harry for a moment, then looked down at his soup and started tearing his bread to bits over it. "Harry has got a very good point."

Hermione had never noticed Dumbledore seem uneasy about anything Harry said before. She glanced back at Harry.

"All we really know is that it's indestructible by means known to us." Harry went on. "For all we know, no one's pulled the trigger on it yet."

Hermione started. She knew it was Voldemort's knowledge and it put her slightly on edge.

Molly and Arthur looked at each other nervously.

"Well, the Amazons and the Brotherhood seemed to think it was alright to wear?" Arthur ventured.

Hermione reached her hand up to fidget with the amulet hanging under her robes.

"No one mentioned a problem with you wearing it?" Neville asked.

"Never." Hermione shook her head.

"But it's attuned to your bloodline, isn't it?" Harry asked. "Ever put it on anyone else?"

The table fell silent.

"He has a valid point." Severus said to Hermione.

"But I've let you handle the amulet." Hermione protested.

"Handling isn't the same as putting it on." Dumbledore said as he scraped the bottom of his bowl and placed it to the side.

"Besides, your bloodlines have been magically bonded, haven't they?" Ron added. "It's nearly the same as family."

"Huh." Hermione said as she pulled the amulet out of her shirt. She pulled the pouch off and held it up where it sparkled between her fingers.

"It's a living opal." Mrs. Longbottom said.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Well, enchanted, of course." She waved her wand and some of the chicken nearest to her sliced itself and arranged itself on her plate. "Piece of that broken bridge from up north, isn't it?"

"How do you know this?" Dumbledore asked her, peering over the tops of his gold spectacles.

"It was clearly described in the _Chronicles of Jared the Wanderer."_ She explained. "Neville's 15 times over grandfather."

"And you chose to tell us now because?" George ventured before anyone else said anything rude.

"Because no one showed it to me before." She sniffed in an imperious way as she peered at the amulet.

"So it's just a trinket?" Severus asked.

"No. It's a key."

Severus looked at Hermione and instantly knew she was going to be buried under Longbottom family archives for the rest of the evening.

He knew he'd made painful sacrifices for the Order. Losing an evening of naked Hermione was a small sacrifice.

If anyone had asked him that moment what any of the others had been he'd be hard pressed to come up with something.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 

Hermione fastened her dark brown woolen cloak around her shoulders as she stood in front of the fireplace in her apartments at Hogwarts. She frowned in disapproval at her over protective husband, though she wasn't facing him.

"You are to exercise extreme caution." Severus frowned at her back. The daft girl was taking things far too lightly.

"I know, Severus." She sounded as if they had gone over this a million times before. Perhaps because they had. She understood his unease, but he was starting to sound like a broken record.

"We have no proof of what this is." he insisted.

"I know, Severus." She turned and gave him a testy look.

"This is serious, girl!" Severus barked. "The Amazons and the Brotherhood can only be trusted so far."

"They seem to truly want to help us," Hermione reasoned, her cloak swirling around her as she sharply turned. "And what do they have to gain?"

"A bit too easy to convince if you ask me," Severus grumbled as he fussed over Hermione's cloak buttons. "And neither has asked for anything. Don't you find that a bit strange?"

"Some people find knowledge valuable," Hermione said testily, brushing his hands away. "This is an item from legend. And perhaps many think the bitterness between the Brotherhood and the Amazons has gone on long enough. If they combine their libraries they'll be one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Ever think of that?"

"Perhaps." Severus looked thoughtfully at her.

He actually had _not_ thought of that. Cheeky wench.

"And Pieter is in the Brotherhood. Don't you even trust your own cousin?" She fiddled with his tarnished silver cloak fastenings.

"Pieter is bound to the Brotherhood by ancient powerful magicks." Severus frowned. "Those ties run far deeper than any blood relation."

Hermione looked thoughtful. She stood back and examined Severus. "Why aren't you in the Brotherhood if Pieter is?"

"I decided to follow the Dark Lord," Severus said dryly. "Silly me."

"Oh." Hermione turned red.

Of course.

"It's a wonder they're even letting me participate in any of this," Severus mused.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione snapped. She wrapped a warm beige colored scarf over head and pulled on her matching gloves. "They would have been foolish to use anyone else."

Severus looked amused at his wife's indignation. "Thank you, wife."

Hermione sniffed imperiously at him.

Severus tried not to laugh. He was rubbing off on her.

He motioned to the jar of Floo powder near the fireplace. "After you, my dear."

She threw a handful of powder in the fireplace and green flames roared to life. She arched an eyebrow at him as she stepped into the flames.

He wasn't ever really sure if she knew why he laughed at her.

-+-+-

Hermione was surprised to be walking through an ornate stone fireplace sitting by itself on a floating plate of ice, much like the one she had ridden to the Amazonian tower the first time she had visited.

Severus handed Hermione a broom from a black iron rack that was placed nearby. There seemed to be a glowing ice cube in the distance and they had to get to it somehow.

"You can fly, can't you?"

"Of course I can." Hermione took the broom from him and glided easily upwards.

"I hear your first experience with a broom was not a pleasant one." Severus chuckled.

"I was eleven, Severus. I have improved in many things since then."

"One would hope so," Severus sniffed.

He really was jumping up and down on her last nerve.

As Hermione flew to the meeting place, she noticed small yellowish glowing lights under the water. She knew it must be a security measure, but she shuddered to think of what it was.

She and Severus came to a soft landing near an arched door cut out in the cube of ice. Two men dressed in black were guarding the opening. They had no markings upon them so Hermione could only guess what faction they represented.

One held out a small water filled tank with a small orange fish inside. It glowed slightly.

"Good Lord." Severus peered at the tank. "Is that what I think it is?"

The guard smirked, but still didn't say a word. Severus plunged his hand in the tank and the small fish cuddled up to him. The guard motioned for Severus to walk through the door.

"What is that?" Hermione asked as she stuck her hand in the tank. The small fish cuddled up to her and she gave it a gentle stroke.

"A Pethar. Very rare. Allergic to Polyjuice Potion. So much so that if someone is under the influence they go against their normally gentle and friendly nature and try to get away." Severus gave the tank a glance again. "I suppose he's not up for sale after negotiations?"

The guard smiled and shook his head.

"Pity." Severus walked through the doorway to the meeting place and Hermione followed him.

Hermione gasped as she entered the room.

They seemed to be in a room made of frosted ice. It was cool, but not cold. Hermione pulled her scarf off her brown curls, but kept it on. She hazarded a guess that they were floating on a slab of ice somewhere in the vicinity of the Amazonian tower. The lighting was satisfactory but dim.

Guards from both the Ministry and the Brotherhood stood at each of the windows. Hermione was sure from the presence of Alexandra and Nyssa there was at least one platoon from the Amazons present nearby.

The Ministry guards seemed to be made up of a mix of Aurors and people from the Department of Mysteries. They wore light grey robes made of some sort of silky material as uniforms and short circular hats of the same color with no brims. Hermione was surprised to see each of them had two wands on their belts. It made her a little nervous.

The Brotherhood guards were dressed in deep green velvet robes with black fur trim. Pointed shoulder pads jutted out dramatically and curled up, making the guards look like they had broader shoulders than normal. Gold piping embellished them. They all had shaved heads and wore woven gold and silver circlets with a red stone set into the forehead. Hermione spied black curly-toed boots poking out from under their robes.

A rectangular wooden table with a blank parchment on it lay between two benches. A white candle burned at each corner of the table. Silver runes etched in shells were inlaid around the edge of the table. Each end of the table had two heavy wooden chairs.

Red sealing wax slowly bubbled in a small brass cauldron above a single white tea light. A silver blade lay nearby.

"Hello, dear," Nyssa greeted Hermione as she stepped into the room. "The Brotherhood has sent their security forces but their representatives have yet to arrive."

A nearby Ministry guard, a short, stout man with wiry red hair that seemed to stick out in all directions, rolled his eyes as if he had heard much about the subject. Hermione tried not to giggle.

"The Amazons probably had scouts in place on our property weeks before you came to work in my laboratory," Severus sniffed. Nyssa looked embarrassed. "I'm sure the Brotherhood is just as invested in their security measures."

"Are we the first from England to arrive?" Hermione asked changing the subject. "Besides security, of course."

"Yes," Alexandra said before Nyssa started up again. "Your Ministry officials have yet to get here."

"I believe Dumbledore is also coming," Snape said as he whisked his cloak off dramatically. He folded it over one arm and approached the table. "Along with Arthur, of course."

"He is such a pleasant man," Nyssa said warmly as they walked to the table. "Now each of you sits at opposite ends."

Hermione sat and was happy to find the wooden chair had been magically warmed and was quite comfortable.

Severus sat opposite her after placing his cloak on the back of his chair. The cauldron bubbled in front of him and orange and gold light played off his face.

Nyssa and Alexandra sat on one side of the table and Nyssa gave Alexandra a startled look as Alexandra flicked a grape out of her sleeve and popped it in her mouth.

"What on earth was that?" Nyssa demanded.

"A preservation bag sewn into the sleeve of my robes." Alexandra snorted. "I told you they wouldn't be here on time."

Hermione let out a laugh and a small bell rung as they saw small green flames leap up in the distance. She turned and watched as Pieter and Nicolai made their way to the tiny island and were checked through security. They were wearing their normal burgundy robes along with tall black cylindrical hats.

"They're on time enough," Hermione said as Pieter and Nicolai took their hats off as they approached the table. "They're earlier than the Ministry group."

"Complaining already, temptress?" Nicolai sniffed. He seemed to be in his usual grouchy mood.

Hermione stifled a laugh.

"Oh for pity's sake," Nyssa grumbled.

Alexandra rolled her eyes. Although Nicolai had been put in charge of negotiations, it was clear he was never going to approve of the negotiations.

Pieter sat on Hermione's right, leaving Nicolai near Severus.

"And how are you, dear cousin?" Pieter asked warmly as he pulled a piroshki out of his robes and handed it to Hermione. "Yuri would like to know when you and your barbarian of a husband plan on visiting Mageeya Topeek again."

"Barbarian?" Severus said surprised. "What've I done to you?"

"Yes, barbarian!" Pieter rumbled at Severus. "How can you take a bride and not present her during Ball Season? It is uncivilized!"

Severus looked deeply offended. "I refuse to unveil her like a piece of chattel."

Pieter waved his hand dismissively. "Ridiculous! She must meet the families we are close to! And it would make Anna happy to have a friend at the next ball."

Hermione couldn't imagine why Anna would be lonely at such an event. She looked at Severus.

"Be that as it may," Severus harrumphed at Pieter, "Mother is expecting us in France. If you'll remember, you were invited."

The bell rang again and momentarily Arthur Weasley and Mrs. Longbottom walked through the door. Mrs. Longbottom was carrying a large ancient looking red leather bound book with brass fittings binding it together.

"Hello, everyone," Arthur said cheerfully as he undid a gold silk tie and a deep burgundy curtain fell over the door.

Pieter and Nicolai nodded at Mrs. Longbottom politely. Alexandra and Nyssa stared openmouthed at the stuffed vulture perched on her hat.

Arthur introduced Neville's grandmother. "This is Augusta Longbottom. She possesses what we believe to be the only written information about the shard from the time period when it was supposedly created. I had her bring this information today."

Nyssa breathed in. "Incredible. Your records must be kept in impeccable order for you to find information this quickly."

"Not as much as you would think." Mrs. Longbottom walked over to the table and dropped the book with a heavy thud onto the parchment. "I enjoyed this volume in our family library when I was much younger and remembered the legend when the girl produced the pendant."

"Convenient," Nicolai said flatly. Pieter threw him a look.

Thankfully, Mrs. Longbottom ignored him. "Jared also talked about various sundries made from pieces of the bridge for sentimental reasons."

She peered at Nicolai and made a face as if a strong, foul odor had passed under her nose. Hermione was just thankful he had not really been slapped. Mrs. Longbottom was not known for her patience.

The bell rang again and Arthur lifted up the burgundy curtain and peered out into the darkness.

"That should be Dumbledore," Arthur said, dropping the fabric. "He was afraid he was going to be late. Business at the school."

"Anything we should be concerned about?" Severus asked.

"Not at all. Something about a niffler loose in the Ravenclaw common room. Unauthorized pet, I'm afraid."

Hermione chuckled. "At least it wasn't one of ours."

Severus wondered if she was talking about Slytherin or Gryffindor.

"I am terribly sorry," Dumbledore said as he whisked through the door. He took his pointed purple hat off and brushed dust and ash off of it. "It looks like my lateness has been holding things up."

"Not at all, Professor," Hermione said.

"Yes, we were just getting started," Nyssa said warmly as Alexandra got up to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

"I take it you have already read the journals before us," Nicolai said looking unsettled.

Hermione guessed he was not the type of person that liked surprises.

"Actually, no," Dumbledore confessed. "I do have a school to run, Nici. Occasionally I don't have the time to page through the journals of Pure Blooded families."

Hermione looked at Severus. From the glance he gave her, he hadn't known that Dumbledore knew Nicolai either, let alone well enough to call him Nici.

Nicolai threw Dumbledore a filthy look, but seemed to lose some of his pompousness.

Pieter laughed heartily, but didn't look surprised at all. He clapped Nicolai on the back, nearly knocking him forward into the table. Nicolai looked distinctly annoyed.

"You have not changed much since your second year at Durmstrang, I take it?" Pieter boomed merrily.

"Some of us find genealogical histories interesting." Nicolai sniffed.

"Exactly!" Mrs. Longbottom broke in as she opened the book. Hermione winced as she heard neglected leather binding crackle. "I spent hours reading these as a girl during my summers home from Hogwarts. This was one of my favorite stories."

Nicolai looked at her with a bit more respect than he had before.

Hermione still wondered about the 'Durmstrang' comment.

"A lot of the items would simply sing a family epic. I suppose the magic would have drained from these by now," Mrs. Longbottom said thoughtfully. "Some held Valkyrie song, but since none of you have gone mad or deaf, I'd suppose that one's not applicable."

Severus shifted uneasily in his seat. The Jotun made him nervous. Period. Combine the Death Eaters with Monty Python's surrealistic sense of humor and you have the nicest of the Jotun. There was no reason they wouldn't find the torturing of a descendent of a god amusing. They might even find it worthy of a festival day.

"The patterns of flashing lights indicate something is written in the language of Light and Dark," Mrs. Longbottom explained.

She looked accusingly at Nicolai. He attempted to look innocent. He failed.

"What do you know?" Mrs. Longbottom snapped at him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Nicolai said lightly.

Pieter frowned at him.

"You bring me as a representative, bring my family from two countries into this plan, put my reputation and integrity on the line, and you have withheld information?" Pieter's voice steadily rose until it was a dull roar.

Hermione suddenly felt sorry for Pieter's children when they finally pushed their father over the edge. Nicolai flinched in spite of being Pieter's superior. He had obviously hit a nerve.

Everyone at the table stared at Nicolai.

"It's a key. Not like you wouldn't have found out eventually anyway."

"Is that what your big secret is?" Mrs. Longbottom sniffed. "We thought you knew something interesting."

Nicolai looked outraged. "You _knew?_"

"Key to what?" Hermione interrupted before war broke out.

"We've just gotten a glance at it; we haven't been able to read the message yet," Nicolai admitted. "For all we know, the magic has decayed and the message is incomprehensible. We don't know the skill of the witch or wizard who made the item. And we didn't get to test it to prove it's a piece of the bridge. Everything we had was purely speculation."

Severus tilted his head at Pieter. "Although it may be considered unscrupulous to withhold information, this was just a theory. A theory that panned out, but just a theory nonetheless."

Pieter still glared at Nicolai, grumbling under his breath.

"So now let's negotiate," Dumbledore said.

He stood by the table as the others hammered out the details. When everything was finished and etched onto the parchment each of them pricked themselves with the silver dagger and let three drops of blood flow into the sealing wax.

Nyssa and Nicolai chanted a spell over the cauldron of wax and the color turned grey.

Pieter pulled a wooden box out of his robes. When he opened it Hermione saw there were four brass seals in it. He handed one to Dumbledore, one to Nyssa, one to Nicolai, and one to Arthur.

Nyssa poured four dollops of wax at the bottom of the page.

Hermione watched as the seals pressed into the wax: Phoenix, crossed arrows, crossed wands, and a book and a sword. They all had the initials 'EA' flourished in the center.

"What is 'EA' for?" Hermione asked.

" Eastern Alliance," Pieter said proudly.

"Did you make these?" Severus asked, taking the Phoenix one from Dumbledore.

"Misha did help a bit," Pieter said, puffing his chest out with pride. "He has been spending a lot of time with my first metalworking kit. It is adorable."

Nicolai sighed at the mention of Pieter's children. Hermione speculated he had to hear about them all day.

Nicolai pulled a scroll case out of his robes and pulled out a red lacquered scroll case. When he unrolled the parchment contained in it and laid it on the table, small bolts of lightening ran through it, flashing the colors of the rainbow.

"Lay your hands on it," Nicolai said.

All who were not from the Brotherhood, including Mrs. Longbottom, reached out and touched the page.

Hermione saw multi-colored stars flash in front of her eyes. When the flashing stopped, she removed her hands from the page.

She felt slightly disoriented, and shook her head slightly.

"That was the language of Light and Dark. The language of Fire and Stone will be a bit more difficult to learn. We will meet next Saturday night. Then there will be a full moon. This time at a place of our choosing." Nicolai picked the parchment back up after everyone had finished. He rolled it tightly and stuffed it back into its scroll case. Then he tucked it into his robes.

"Here is a copy of the prophecy," Nyssa said, fishing a blue leather scroll case out from under her robes. "Translated and a copy of the original that you may check for any mistakes that may have been made."

"Thank you," Nicolai said, taking the scroll case gently from her and tucking it under his robes. It was the first civil thing he had said to her.

"After the Saturday exchange we will release the spell keeping the whales away from you," Nyssa said.

"Good!" Pieter clapped his hands together. "Then may I suggest we have a viewing and observational analysis of the relic on the Tuesday after. Anna can pack us a nice dinner."

"As if that poor woman doesn't have enough to do!" Hermione said testily. "What are you thinking?!"

Pieter laughed a big booming laugh. "It is her joy!"

"Anna used to prepare banquets before she got involved with this fool," Severus explained, throwing a look at his cousin. "When she has the opportunity to ply her craft Pieter takes the children away. Once her spells are going I hear she finally gets peace and quiet."

Hermione relaxed a little.

"I know she would like company…" Pieter hinted at Hermione.

Hermione suddenly got the idea Pieter was trying to get Anna to talk to her about Ball Season.

"I'll be glad to stop in to see her," Hermione said, smiling.

Severus looked decidedly grouchy about this.

"Wednesday is better for us," Alexandra said and she consulted a silver pocket watch she had pulled out of her robes.

"Wednesday, then," Nicolai said.

"We can meet at the Ministry for that," Arthur said. "We have the best place for that, I think."

"Perfect," Nyssa said smiling.

Dumbledore rolled the large parchment outlining the agreement of the new Eastern Alliance up and put it into a long, brown leather scroll case. "I think, ladies and gentlemen, that we may call this a successful evening and declare it time to retire."

They shook hands all around and flew back to the fireplace, taking turns taking the Floo back to their respective homes.

"See you in the morning!" Dumbledore said cheerily to Hermione and Severus as he tossed a handful of powder into the flames and disappeared.

"Wonderful," Severus grumbled as he reached for a handful of powder. Hermione chuckled.

Even with everything going according to plan, he could find something to complain about.


	29. Chapter 29

Marriage Law Chapter 29

"You do know this could be the start of a lot of trouble, don't you?" Detective Nigel Warren said to Detective Thomas Byron.

Byron was frowning down at the corpse of an elderly man. The man's face was frozen in a mask of fear, eyes wide open and his mouth was contorted into a silent cry.

"It looks to me like it already has become a lot of trouble," Detective Byron remarked as Ryan McConnell scuttled around the body snapping pictures. "Did you find anything from last time, Ryan?"

Ryan McConnell stopped snapping and stood up straight, taking note of the amount of film he had left. "Nothing. Sorry Tom."

They were standing in a soft pink painted dining room. Decorative plates with flowers on them hung over a dark wooden buffet. An intricately carved dark wooden table stood in the center of the room, cream fabric covered the seats of dining chairs that were pushed in neatly, evenly spaced apart.

A thin layer of dust covered everything, the only exception were three clean streaks on the dining room table where it appeared the man had grasped in a futile effort as he met his demise.

"Are you sure he was killed in here?" Byron asked, looking around.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Warren looked up at Byron. "Looks pretty cut and dry."

"We still don't know if he was killed at all." Detective Shelley Morgan said bitterly as she walked into the room. "Could have just kicked it from heart failure. I don't even know why we're here, Warren."

"We were told to, that's why," Warren reminded her. "Someone has an interest in these dead men. Find any connection yet?"

"No." Morgan shook her head at him.

"Well, then we'll just have to wait for more dead bodies to turn up," Byron said, a strange note in his voice.

OoOoO

Ron Weasley stepped through the fireplace into Hermione and Severus' quarters at Hogwarts. Sunlight came through the arched doorway to Hermione's room. Neither Hermione nor Severus was anywhere to be seen.

"Hello?" Ron called out loudly. If they were having a private moment it was nothing he _ever_ wanted to see accidentally.

"In here, Ron!" Hermione's voice sounded muffled, but came from her room.

Ron strode through the archway and into Hermione's room. The shutters were open and cold grey light filtered into the room. The curtains were pulled shut around Hermione's bed.

"In here!" Hermione's voice came from behind the curtains.

Ron pulled back the curtain and saw Ginny sitting cross legged with Hermione on her comforter. Hermione was holding up her pendant and Crookshanks was on his back, batting at it playfully.

"So you can read it now?" Ron asked as he climbed onto the bed near his sister and closed the curtain.

"Only bits and pieces," Hermione frowned. "I get snippets of words and phrases here and there. I think knowing the language of Fire and Stone will make me understand it completely."

"So what can you understand so far?" Ginny asked.

"Knowledge. Vessels. Life. Danger. Treacherous paths. Happiness. Fruit. Water. Wine." Hermione said.

"But they said the spell could have degraded somewhat," Ron said. "Even with the other language you may still be left with a partial message."

"Very true," Hermione admitted. "But it still may be something useful."

"You do know this may be the best thing that's ever happened to you." Ron said quietly.

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Without the shard none of this would be happening." Ron said. "The Amazons and the Brotherhood wouldn't be so keen to sign a treaty. You wouldn't be doing research at the Ministry."

"You don't know that," Ginny said skeptically. "The Department of Mysteries would be a perfect place for Hermione."

"But I wasn't interested in the Department of Mysteries," Hermione said. "I wanted to work with Muggles."

"Mum says we end up where we're supposed to be, whether we like it or not" Ron shrugged.

"Well, this is supposed to be a key to somewhere," Hermione said, dangling it so the light bounced off the inside of her bed curtains. "So we'll see where it takes us."

"Just because you have a key to somewhere doesn't mean you have to go plunging in once you hear the lock click. For all you know this leads you back to the Jotun and has a list of someone's shopping." Ron said, an annoyed tone creeping into his voice.

"He's right, you know," Ginny said before Hermione said something snotty.

"But I am under the supervision of the Ministry and your dad wouldn't approve anything insane." Hermione insisted. "Your mother would kill him."

Ron relaxed a bit. "I suppose that is a good point." He shrugged at Ginny.

OoOoO

"You're completely mad, Arthur." Molly Weasley said flatly.

"I am not mad and if anyone is to do anything, it should be her." Arthur looked tired. "I wish there could be another way but-

"'But' nothing!" Molly looked angry. "She's barely out of childhood."

"She was given the artifact because she was part of a bloodline. It's not like they gave it to us and said: 'Here. Come to the party.' They gave it to her because she is who she is. We can't change that, Molly."

"Hopefully they won't have a problem with me escorting her if we travel." Severus said dully.

"Thank heaven for that, at least." Molly said bitterly. "I never thought I'd be thankful for the Marriage Law."

Severus let out a snort that sounded suspiciously like a stifled laugh. "Me neither."

Molly gave him a weak smile and a pat on his arm.

"You'll take care of her, won't you?"

"I always do my very best." Severus said seriously, and then looked thoughtful. "But that crowd she runs with-

Molly smacked him again, this time a bit harder. "Now stop that! Even with all their adventures they acted carefully."

"Because of her." Severus snorted. "Only level head among them."

"I suppose so." Molly mused.

"And they weren't all that careful." Arthur frowned. "She's lucky the basilisk didn't kill her."

"I'd rather not think about that." Severus shivered.

"Well, we'll have it translated completely tonight." Arthur clapped his hands together as if the sound closed the subject. "Then we can think about our options. No sense worrying about it until then."

OoOoO

"You've got to be joking." Severus said dryly.

"I assure you, the pain only lasts for a moment and the potions we have prepared will heal you within seconds." Pieter said in a reassuring tone.

"I have never heard of such a thing, Nicolai." Dumbledore frowned at the red coals smoldering in a small cauldron that hovered a few inches above Dumbledore's desk. There was a small brand in the shape of intertwined runes heating in the coals.

"There are a few things you do not know, then?" Nicolai sniffed imperiously.

Dumbledore gave him a tired look over the top of his glasses.

"Pieter, how does this work?" Hermione asked her cousin-in-law.

Pieter slipped his robes off of his right shoulder. Among the copious amounts of black curly hair she could see a small brand. "The information is given to you when the heated crystal fuses with your flesh."

"Lovely." Professor McGonagall seemed to disapprove of the whole idea.

To Hermione's surprise, the Brotherhood decided on Dumbledore's office as their meeting place. According to Nicolai, it would give them a chance to see a different institution of learning. Pieter smirked and told Hermione that Nicolai just wanted to see Dumbledore's office and all the items it contained.

Pieter, Nicolai, and Viktor Krum were still representing the Brotherhood and Asta, Nyssa, and Alexandra were still officially representing the Amazons, but the room was quite crowded.

A dozen Amazons, including Sofia waited patiently for their turn to be branded. A small group of members of the Brotherhood watched

The Brotherhood had agreed to give more Amazons the gift of the language of Light and Dark in order to enhance their linguistic studies. The Amazons in turn agreed to share their prophetic library with the Brotherhood. Now there were people on both sides talking about a library merging their knowledge in order to become the most powerful magical entity in the world.

Nicolai vocally disapproved this idea, saying the younger Brotherhood members had clouded judgment brought on by the idea of the evil seductresses tempting them with promises of ecstasy. No one had disagreed with him. The talks had continued.

Officially, Dumbledore, Snape, Hermione, and McGonagall were representing the Order, but there were a dozen people from the Ministry waiting to observe the ritual and participate in the branding ceremony.

At least, they had shown up to participate in the information exchange, now that the thought of branding was on the table more than a few witches and wizards shifted nervously in their seats.

"Did you do this Viktor?" Hermione asked. "Does it work?"

"Oh yes," Viktor said. "It vill allow you to read the story of earth. You vill understand after the ceremony."

Hermione shrugged and slipped her robes off her shoulder.

"Hermione!" Snape hissed. "This could alter your perceptions of things forever!"

"Viktor seems fine." Hermione said stubbornly. "And this is what I came for. I'm doing this."

Severus let out a breath and gave her an irritable look. "Fine then."

"You may mark her if you like." Nicolai said to Viktor. "She is your friend."

"This vill hurt for a moment," Viktor apologized. "Drink the potion quickly and the pain vill go away."

Hermione nodded and turned away from Viktor.

"It is easier if you lay down." Nicolai waved his wand at a piece of silk that had been laid out on the table. It floated waist high in front of Hermione. When she pushed on it, it stayed firmly aloft. She climbed onto the table and gave a squeak of surprise as she found her legs and arms firmly bound.

"I am sorry." Viktor apologized as he picked up the small brand, pushed a hand firmly into her back to stop her wiggling, and pushed the brand firmly into the flesh of her shoulder.

Hermione screamed and struggled as pain shot through her. The smell of burning flesh was sickening. Her eyes flew open and her husband watched her dispassionately.

After seconds that felt like hours, Hermione felt Viktor ease the pressure on her back where he was holding her down and her restraints were gone. She sat up quickly and Viktor pushed a small blue vial to her lips. She gulped the potion down and quickly the intense pain dulled into a dull throb.

"Are you alright?" Viktor asked her, a concerned look on his face.

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows up at him. It was all the warning he got before she punched him in the gut.

"I am not a cow!" Hermione yelled at him. She could hear Severus laughing. "You need not tie me up to get me to do something I have already agreed to!"

"I think the binding spell may be a bit overboard." Nicolai snickered at the doubled-up Viktor.

Viktor gave out a groan and limped back to Pieter, who chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

Hermione tried to see the brand over her shoulder, but only got a glimpse of scar tissue. Severus came over and ran his finger over the brand. It was still sore but the potion was working quickly.

Hermione hopped off the piece of silk and breathed in as her feet touched the stone floor.

"What?" Severus asked sharply.

"This stone came from far away. It was carved out of the side of a cliff and transported here on wooden platforms. It was set here by magic and many feet have passed over it." She seemed to be listening to something. "Someone used to dance here. It misses the feel of dancing feet."

"The stone misses the feel of people dancing upon it?" Severus' eyebrows went up in surprise.

"It's not as clear as that." Hermione frowned. "It's more abstract."

Pieter approached them chuckling. "Severus, it is your turn. I will warn you, I hit back."

"Anna would murder me." Severus snorted.

He started taking a shoe off and Pieter laid a hand on his shoulder.

"The mark goes on the shoulder." Pieter said sternly.

Severus flinched slightly at the word 'mark.' Hermione winced.

"Must it?" Severus asked. "It should work anywhere."

"It is tradition!" Nicolai said sternly.

Hermione started to blush. She chanced a glance at Nyssa. Nyssa was looking at her questioningly. Hermione flicked her eyes down and blushed furiously.

Severus leaned over and whispered something to Pieter that caused the large furry man to throw his head back and howl with laughter.

"Off with it!" Pieter chucked once he had slightly composed himself.

Severus started undoing buttons. He threw an accusing glare at Hermione. She desperately tried not to giggle.

Asta slipped over to Hermione. "What is going on?"

"Sometimes…" Hermione hesitated. "Human mating gets enthusiastic."

"I have read about that." Asta said proudly. "Passion grows between a man and woman and-"

Asta's eyes widened. "Oh my!"

Pieter had yanked Severus' clothing down from his shoulder and was giving Hermione an approving gaze.

Even from the small bit of skin exposed it was clear he had deep scratches on his shoulder. A bite mark graced it. There were small bruises at the base of his neck.

"It is wonderful being married, is it not, Severus?" Pieter smiled warmly at his cousin before shoving him roughly and making him lay down on the piece of silk.

The Amazons were whispering among themselves and stealing glances at Hermione.

Alexandra was looking at Hermione as if sizing her up.

"This is pleasurable?" Asta asked Hermione excitedly.

"It was at the time." Hermione whispered back, trying not to die of embarrassment.

Pieter apologized to Severus before pushing the brand against his skin. Hermione watched as the brand pushed in as if there were nothing there. The skin seemed to grow up and around it as he pushed harder, glowing shades of yellow, orange, and red under his skin.

She watched Severus take a deep breath.

"Do you often battle before mating?!" Asta was smiling brightly, her eyes slightly glazed. She was starting to look mad.

"Um… during." Hermione said slowly.

"During?" Asta echoed weakly. Hermione noticed little shots of lightening going off in her mouth as she spoke.

"Asta? Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

Nyssa's head turned and she got a panicked look on her face. She hurried over and placed a hand on Asta's back.

Asta's head whipped around and she stared at Nyssa. Her eyes, glowing blue. Nyssa jumped slightly.

Hermione heard Severus yelp as the brand was pulled from him, but her eyes didn't leave Asta.

"How do I find a mate?" Asta's head snapped around to the somewhat startled group of Brotherhood men.

One of them, a tall man in his mid 20's with dark wavy hair, straightened his hat and waggled his eyebrows at her. One of his brothers smacked him. Asta started towards him with a look of determination on her face. He didn't look upset about this at all.

"I didn't think bloodlust was this literal!" Nyssa was trying to drag Asta back to the Amazons.

"Back to the tower for you!" Alexandra had hurried and was trying to wrestle Asta under control.

"My name is Mikhail!" The hopeful looking Brother waved at her as the other Amazons jumped in to wrestle Asta towards a fireplace where Sophia had thrown a handful of Floo powder. The old woman looked horrified at Asta's actions.

"Asta!" Asta managed to call out before she was shoved into the leaping green flames that would take her back home.

"I'm terrible sorry!" Sophia rushed over to apologize to Nicolai.

"Do you think they're all like that?" Mikhail breathed as he continued looking at the fireplace with a goofy grin on his face.

"One can only hope!" A blond wizard standing near him straightened his robes and waved shyly at a short Amazon with brown curly hair. She blushed furiously and turned her back to him.

Hermione noticed the subtle twitch of her hips as she did so.

So did Nicolai.

"This is what I am talking about! Enchantresses! Temptresses! Evil sirens that will ruin us!"

"Have anyone in mind, Nicolai?" Pieter smirked at Nyssa.

Nyssa was floored. She stared at Nicolai openmouthed.

"Enchantments and magic! Nothing more!" Nicolai was furiously red in the face. He turned and threw a handful of Floo powder in the fireplace. "The Brotherhood Library Three!"

As he disappeared, the room fell quiet.

"All vight!" Viktor pushed about the small coals with the brand. "Who vill be next?"


	30. Chapter 30

"That was the most insane fiasco I have ever been part of." Severus groaned as he flopped on the black leather couch in his quarters.

Hermione snickered at him as she walked in the door behind him. The portrait swung closed behind her with a small click. "That was brilliant."

"Brilliant." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as he repeated her. "Just what was so 'brilliant' about that? So inspiring? So extraordinary?"

"Within a minute of a display proving my superior lovemaking skills, Asta hits puberty and Nicolai is ousted as a woman loving traitor." Hermione strutted by her husband, stopping to place a kiss on his forehead.

She twitched her hips as she stopped to pet Crookshanks. The fluffy orange cat rubbed against her hand purring deeply.

Severus looked at her. She seemed to be doing a small victory dance. He chuckled in spite of himself. Hermione turned and smiled at him. Then she got a look on her face as if she were having a revelation.

"How long until we have to do the Ceremony of the Shard?" Hermione asked excitedly.

When the Amazonian scribes had started calling the information exchange 'The Ceremony of the Shard' Dumbledore had waved them off claiming they just hoped it would turn into something big.

Hermione was just thankful the Daily Prophet hadn't been leaked anything.

"After dinner, I think." Severus pulled a tarnished brass pocket watch out of his robes and checked it. "We have a few hours until Anna will be ready to serve all of us. Why?"

"Do we have enough time to test out the languages in my bathroom?" Hermione grinned at Severus hopefully.

"I honestly wouldn't suggest it." Severus said reluctantly. "I know you're just thinking of your intriguing frog faucet, but there could be a great many things in there and we wouldn't want to start something we couldn't finish. It might even be wise to have Dumbledore there."

Severus looked at Hermione's disappointed expression. "I know you're just itching to get your hands on ancient enchantments that haven't been meddled with. Your initial examination and hypothesis can wait for later, my dear. We should even arrange to have a house elf take notes as we try different things."

"Suppose you're right." Hermione sighed. "It's just so hard to wait."

She walked over to the small Wizarding Wireless near her chair by the window and switched it on. Severus tilted his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. A lilting instrumental came through the small box and Hermione picked up a book she had sitting nearby and idly examined the spine.

He was truly glad his parents liked her so much. He sincerely hoped her parents would survive the holiday in France with his family.

The weather had been getting colder. Leaves had already been stripped from the trees and the ground was awash with brown crunchy piles of them. Halloween was just around the corner. Their first Christmas together was quickly approaching. Hopefully the first of many with both their families present, celebrating together in a pleasant location. Part of Severus groaned over being subjected to his mother, but part of him hoped it would all go well.

At least Hermione's father couldn't curse him. Thank the heavens for small favors.

"Why are you staring at me?" Hermione asked him without looking at him.

"I was thinking about Christmas." Severus sighed. "End of term tests."

"You know, they don't expect _you_ to take them." Hermione smirked as she opened the book and skimmed a page.

"Thank heaven for that." Severus sighed. "I passed my N.E.W.T.'s by the skin of my teeth."

"Did you really?" Hermione chuckled at him and closed her book. "Then why are you so hard on them?"

"Because once you drill it into their heads you can start looking into theory and making real discoveries." Severus said. "I'd just like one of my students to come up with some sort of breakthrough. Higgins at the Salem Institute already has two Potions Masters under his belt and he's only been teaching a decade. What do I have? 'Miracle Breakthrough' youth serums and enchanting scents."

"Is that what all this is about?" Hermione laughed at him. She set the book back down and looked at him. "You are completely insane, you know that?"

"What's wrong with trying to produce a successful student?" He was annoyed.

"You're trying to produce a prodigy, not a successful student." Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him. "The Salem Institute just got lucky, if you're talking about Masters Young and Chen. They were being mentioned briefly in the press by the time they were out of their first year at the Institute. Those kids were gifted; it had nothing to do with their teacher."

"I suppose you're right." Severus sighed.

"I think I'm going to see Anna. Since the Brotherhood had to get here from so far away they hooked up a Floo from Mageeya Topeek. I can transfer to their house from Yuri's pub." Hermione's voice sounded hopeful as she said Yuri's name.

"I'd better go with you." Severus groaned as he sat up. "If you breeze through and I'm not there to see Yuri while you… do whatever it is you women do in the kitchen, I'll never hear the end of it from my mother."

"Have a drink while you're there. You're too high strung."

"You would be as well if you thought about what we're accomplishing."

"What are we accomplishing?" Hermione asked crossly. "Learning a couple languages magically and solving the secret decoder ring? What have we actually done? The most important thing coming from this is the Amazons and the Brotherhood talking again and even though we are their excuse we still haven't done anything."

"But without you this whole thing would fall apart." Severus shook his head.

"I doubt it." Hermione brushed him off. "If it wasn't this it would be something else. The world is getting smaller and they can't go on fighting forever."

"Possibly." Severus said slowly. "But unlikely to happen so peacefully."

"Technically, you should thank You-Know-Who for creating such a disturbance the Jotun had to be called in." Hermione said shrewdly.

"And the Shard?" Severus arched an eyebrow at her.

"It may just be a list of things to do and a key to a celestial pantry." Hermione said loftily.

Severus shook his head and stood up. He walked across the room took a heavy, black woolen cloak from a hook near the door. "Fine. Believe what you wish. I will do the worrying for both of us."

"You always do." Hermione smiled at him.

oOoOo

"Severus!" Yuri bustled out from behind his bar, much to the annoyance of the customer who was waiting for his drink. "It is good to see you and your beautiful wife this fine night! What brings you to my fine establishment?"

Hermione got the faintest impression that Yuri was magically bound to the pub when she crossed the threshold from the fireplace. She looked down and just saw her normal black shoes on a stone floor.

Yuri was wearing a dingy tan shirt and brown trousers. A dark brown cracked leather apron hung around his waist. His hands were wet from dipping mugs and glasses in soapy water to clean them. Brown curls were plastered to his forehead with sweat and steam from the sink.

"Hermione is just passing through on her way to see Anna." Severus quirked his mouth as he accepted his cousin's damp embrace. "I will be staying here until she needs me to escort her back."

"It is good to have you here Severus!" Yuri said warmly as he clapped Severus on the shoulder and hugged Hermione. Yuri kissed her on both cheeks and grinned mischievously at Severus. "You can help me tend bar. Ivanna is home with a chill tonight."

Severus sighed and Hermione giggled.

"This is just what you need. Something to keep your hands busy." Hermione insisted. "I'll be back in a bit. Try not to get too drunk."

"I will not be getting drunk." Severus said testily.

"We shall see about that!" Yuri grinned widely and pulled Severus away by the arm as Hermione laughed at them.

She pulled a small bag of Floo Powder out of her robes and threw it into the hearth. She gave the green flames the directions to the Titov house and stepped into the fire.

Hermione was nearly knocked flat by a heavy iron skillet whizzing through the air as she stepped into the kitchen at Pieter and Anna's house.

Anna gave a surprised exclamation in Russian that Hermione didn't understand and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her close and out of harms way.

Copper pots, heavy iron skillets, shiny silver saucepans, and colorful ceramic bowls, all with magically turning spoons, whisks and spatulas swept through the air. Trays heavily laden with piles of food and silver pitchers filled with different colored liquids circled the kitchen in different patterns as they went from station to station getting a bit of garnish, a splash of sauce, a dollop of cream.

"Good Lord." Hermione breathed from the safety of the eye of the storm in the center of the kitchen.

Hermione felt smidgens of thoughts prodding at the back of her head. Children running through the kitchen. The warmth of a blazing fire. The smell of spices used long ago. Darker things long ago. She looked down to see a thin carpet rolled out over the ceramic tiled floor.

This was going to be quite odd for awhile.

"It is some work to get them all started." Anna said simply. Her dark hair was braided and coiled around her head. The kohl around her eyes was slightly smeared from the heat. She wore a plain purple linen dress with a cream colored apron over it. "But once they all get going you just have to watch it as it gathers speed. Then it can go on its own."

"They're all intertwined?" Hermione asked. "How do you even begin to do something like that?"

"There are some good ideas in _Chang's Examination of Bronze Age Magicks._" Anna said.

"I- don't believe I've heard of that one." Hermione frowned.

"I believe I have a copy in Mandarin if you'd be interested." Anna smiled as she pulled her wand out of her pocket and waved it.

Everything in the kitchen froze. Batters and liquids sloshed around in their abruptly halted containers. Spoons and whisks still stirred slowly.

"We can go have some tea while this is going on." Anna insisted as she led Hermione through the kitchen, winding their way around floating utensils, bowls, pots and pans. "The kitchen will not need me for awhile."

When they stepped through the door leading out of the kitchen Anna waved her wand again and the bustling started up.

"That's amazing." Hermione said shaking her head. She was glad to be standing on thick carpeting so she wouldn't have to feel the memories of the home around her.

"If I have enough time to do this on a Sunday afternoon I can prepare food for the whole week. You, of course, have house elves for that sort of thing at Hogwarts." Anna walked with Hermione to Pieter's study. A pot of tea was steaming on a low table near a large black leather couch.

"You could still apply it to a laboratory setting." Hermione pointed out.

"That is what it was for originally." Anna admitted. "I just thought it was more practical in the running of a kitchen."

Hermione laughed. "Pieter told me you were excellent at planning banquets."

"Oh yes!" Anna sat on the couch and patted the place next to her. "I used to feed most of the Quidditch teams that came through the area. Ministry functions. Private gatherings."

Hermione sat as Anna poured her a cup of tea. "It must have been interesting to be a part of so many functions."

"Then there was the fateful day I accepted a job from some men that called themselves the Mystic Brotherhood." Anna sighed as she poured her own cup. "Some ridiculous fellow with a big bushy beard followed me around all night trying to pinch my bottom!"

"He didn't!" Hermione gaped as she spooned some sugar into her cup.

"He was quite the scamp that evening, I assure you!" Anna shook her head at Hermione. "I cannot believe I managed to get anything done!"

"And you married him anyway?" Hermione giggled as she put a dash of cream in her cup and took a sip.

"The next day he sent me flowers and a letter of apology." Anna smiled as she sipped at her tea. "It was quite sweet."

"Men are good at doing that," Hermione remarked.

"Yes they are, and a good thing for them, too," Anna said with a sniff.

"How long has it been since you had a job like this?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"Last Christmas I did a meal for the St. Petersburg Potatoes." Anna shrugged. "I still take a few jobs a year, but for the most part I'm retired."

"I'd hardly say looking after your family is retired." Hermione remarked. "Where _are_ the children?"

"I sent them to France early." Anna smiled. "Their Auntie Stacy is more than happy to have a house full of children."

"Smart move." Hermione said smiling.

Anna pulled her wand out and waved it at the table. A tray of warm vanilla cookies appeared. "It will also spare you from her prodding you to produce an heir. She will have had her fill of children before you arrive."

"I figured that was going to happen soon." Hermione winced.

"You do not have to worry too much." Anna said as she nibbled a cookie. "She herself didn't have Severus until she was much older. She is just anticipating children like children anticipate Christmas."

Hermione smiled. "I know how she feels."

oOoOo

Hermione walked through the fireplace in Mageeya Topeek to collect Severus and found herself staring in wonderment.

There was quite a crowd and they were being quite boisterous. There was a pretty girl dancing as people sang a folk song. Yuri was busy pouring drinks behind the bar.

As the lyrics in the song broke and an uplifting violin solo slunk out of the shadows of the rest of the musicians Hermione's eyes fell on her husband.

She didn't even know he knew how to play.

He was rusty to be sure, and he seemed to be pulling bits of songs together to make his solo instead of coming up with something improvisational and brilliant, but his heart was in it.

It didn't deter the girl any and she continued dancing around him and people kept clapping along with the music.

Yuri motioned to Hermione and she pulled her cloak off as she got behind the bar.

"What am I doing?" Yuri hastily shoved a tray full of short glasses filled with vodka into her hands.

"Table three!" Yuri pulled his wand out of a pocket on the front of his leather apron. He waved it and a small fireworks show went off over a table of young men that were clapping along with the music.

Hermione hurried over to the table and smiled as she served the young men. One of them handed her a silver coin that she didn't recognize. She smiled and nodded politely, not knowing if he knew any English.

She hurried back to the bar and grabbed a second tray from Yuri, following his fireworks to the next table.

"People have been giving me these." Hermione showed him the smile pile of silver coins she had accumulated after her fourth trip. "Is it payment? Do I owe them change?"

"They are yours for bringing people drinks." Yuri smiled as he handed her another tray.

The music had stopped and Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder.

"This is the last one." Severus said to Yuri over Hermione's shoulder. "We really have to be going."

"You should come to see us more, Severus!" Yuri insisted as Hermione bustled to the last table to be served. She smiled and nodded politely as a large, bald man with a ginger bushy mustache gave her a small silver coin and she made her way back to the bar.

"You must come to France and brave one of mother's gatherings!" Severus said silkily.

Hermione saw the look of horror on Yuri's face. "And put up with constant badgering about getting married again? I'd rather kiss a goat."

"You know, the more I hear about this, the more I want to stay away." Hermione quirked a corner of her mouth at them.

"It's fine as long as we can keep mother away from the brandy." Severus shuddered.

"Ha! You tell her this year there will be no eggnog, then!" Yuri barked out a laugh.

"I'm sure we will _all_ survive." Hermione insisted looking at Yuri pointedly.

"I will consider it." Yuri said with a measured gaze at Hermione. "Svetlana would like to see her young cousins, I think."

"It would be nice seeing them all together on Christmas morning." Hermione smiled silkily.

"I see why your mother likes her so much." Yuri smirked at Severus.

"Inconvenient at times." Severus shrugged as he and Yuri sized up Hermione as if she were a prize cow.

Hermione made a face at Severus and Yuri laughed. "I wish Tashi could have met you. I shudder to think of the group of you plotting together."

Hermione hugged Yuri tightly. He held onto her tightly. "Such lovely women we're so lucky to find. Do your best to keep yours."

Hermione kissed him on the cheek.

Severus looked uncomfortable. Hermione watched his expression fade into the stoic look she had known him to always have until they had married.

Yuri turned to give his cousin a firm hug. "You were always her favorite, you know. She never blamed you. Even when she knew they were coming for her. Her mother is a delusional old cow and I tell Svetlana this is her way of grieving. You should come see us more Severus. We miss you."

"You should come to see us!" Hermione interjected before her husband said something stupid.

"Ha!" Yuri burst out, breaking the tension. Severus raised an eyebrow at his wife as his cousin's attention was turned to her. "It appears that you have me backed into a corner. Against my better judgment, I will owl Anastasia. I am sure she will be thrilled."

"See you at Christmas, then!" Hermione artfully pried Yuri from Severus and they backed into the fireplace. Hermione and Severus felt the familiar whooshing sensation of being whisked away through the Floo Network.

They tumbled from the fireplace into their quarters at Hogwarts due to Severus trying to hug Hermione in transit and knocking them off balance.

"Masterfully done, my dear." Severus said, kissing her before he got to his feet. "My mother will probably spoil you rotten for talking him into that."

Hermione kissed him back as she pulled herself to a standing position. "I like your family. They all seem so nice. How they managed to make a grouchy old piss like you, I'll never know."

Severus laughed heartily. Hermione smiled. He smirked at her and snorted a laugh out occasionally, but he still rarely laughed outright. For Hermione it was a special gift to be savored.

"My mother would probably pay money to know." Severus chuckled.

"Well, it's about time for dinner and the ceremony." Hermione said, glancing at a little clock above the fireplace.

"That means it's time to go eat Anna's wonderful collection of tasty things and go listen to a bunch of blowhards talk about how smart they are."

"Oh!" Hermione said in mock surprise. "Well, that's fine. I do that every night eating with you."

She shrieked in mock fright as Severus chased her around their sitting room.

oOoOo

Hermione was sitting in Dumbledore's study wishing there was some way to make more room in her stomach for any more food. Dinner was spectacular with piles of meat pies and pastries, colorful steamed vegetables, fresh bowls of fruit, and breads of varying textures and shapes. She now sat enjoying a sweet cup of coffee and looking at a tray of various types of cookies and sweets.

Pieter didn't look any better than she did. He had stuffed himself silly and was on his third cup of coffee. They sat near each other in identical burgundy velvet armchairs. He groaned as he reached for another sweet.

"I think it's time to give up, old man." The boy named Mikhail laughed at Pieter.

Pieter gave a weak look to Mikhail and took a much smaller cookie than he was reaching for.

Hermione chuckled. "If I have to roll you home I'm never going to let you forget it."

"You know, this is further proof women are temptresses." Pieter said conspiratorially to her. "They make us lazy and soft."

"Not unless you are a gluttonous pig." Anna smacked him on the shoulder as she came up behind him and sat on the arm of his chair.

"I'm going to have to agree." Hermione quirked an eyebrow at Pieter.

"Of course you do." The chair creaked as Pieter sat back. "You are in on the plan. Look at my cousin. Living a carefree bachelor life of study and fishing and you come along. Now he's going to the ballet and smiling like a fool at you whenever your back is turned. Temptresses!"

"Does he really?" Hermione looked at her husband. He was talking to Dumbledore near a wooden pedestal and gesturing to the black velvet bag sitting on it. Sophia had a hand on Dumbledore's arm. Her lips were pursed and she was nodding at what Severus was saying.

"It is very sweet." Anna insisted as she stopped Pieter from reaching for another cookie. She looked at him. "I did keep some for you at home and the children are not around to make them disappear."

He shrugged and settled down in his chair.

Severus made his way over to them and sat in a black leather chair near Hermione. "We think you should be the first to look at it. It's gauged to you and we don't know if one of us touching it will change anything within it."

"But you've touched it before." Hermione looked quizzically at Severus.

"But the languages we learned changed us. The rules may be different now." Severus took her hand in his. "Do be careful."

"I'll try." Hermione smiled weakly at him.

She saw Dumbledore motion to her and she walked to the podium.

He said a few words about international cooperation and past prejudices holding people back before he turned to Hermione. She picked up the pouch and heard whispers of thought at the fringes of her mind.

She swallowed as she opened the pouch and poured the Shard out into her hands.

"Oh my." Hermione said shakily as the Shard spoke to her.

She saw a door in her mind that she had no doubt she could open. She wanted to reach for it, but she remembered Severus' warning and held herself back.

What she thought were snippets of some sort of list were actually a description of a place. It was the door to another place. Perhaps somewhere no one had been for thousands of years.

But the amazing thing was the chain. She now knew it wasn't metal at all.

She saw it: watched as a man with her face sat under a tree in a field so green it hurt her eyes. He plucked long grey strands of hair from his own head and wove them together. A tear in the fabric of reality near him made him look up and smile. Hermione watched as a blonde haired woman stepped through the tear and approached him. He quickly strung the shard on the thin rope of hair and brought out a long thin piece of metal from the sleeve of his shirt. He tapped the rope and it turned the shimmering silver that Hermione had always known it to be. Hermione watched as he looped the chain over the woman's head and kissed her.

Hermione started out of her reverie as Dumbledore removed the shard from her hands.

The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing dragon hide gloves.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Your eyes looked like the shard for a moment." Pieter looked concerned. "They were crystalline and flashing colors."

"It was showing me its origins." Hermione said. "Heimdall made the chain from his own hair and enchanted it into metal for a human woman. I didn't get any more than that."

"Fascinating." Nicolai looked at the Shard in wonderment.

Severus approached the podium and took the Shard from Dumbledore with his bare hands. He held it up and Hermione could finally read the message the Shard signaled.

_If you wish to fill the vessel of the mind_

_Seek out the treacherous path to the Givers of Life._

_There you will find truth, treachery, harmony, despair_

_The best of foods and minds_

_And the most dangerous of all Gods._

Hermione watched as his eyes sparkled as hers must have. He didn't seem to spend much time analyzing what he was seeing, though, because he put the Shard down after a moment.

"I saw a door." Severus said simply. "Nothing more.

"Really?" Hermione said, surprised. "That's odd."

"Not really." Nicolai said. "We had a feeling there would be some things only accessible to you."

Hermione noticed there were a few members of the Brotherhood pointing various interments at her. Some were small wooden boxes with what looked like screens on them. Some were just holding thin stones. One was holding something that looked like a double pronged wand.

"What's all that about?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows knitted.

"Possession detectors, chi monitor, curse alarm." Nicolai said off-handedly as the men put their tools away. "Just a precaution."

"A wise idea considering the circumstances." Nyssa nodded as she pocketed a small white feather she had cupped in the palm of her hand. Nicolai raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"Are you thinking the same thing I am, Nici?" Dumbledore peered at the Shard. "This is no time for games."

"It leads to the Jotun and Loki's torture chamber." Nicolai said flatly after he read the flashing specks of light.

"And my wife has been wearing it around her neck like an herb pouch. Lovely." Severus handed the Shard to Dumbledore who had pulled his gloves off.

Nicolai took it from Dumbledore after a moment and Dumbledore looked at Hermione curiously.

"You never had a hint of this before now?" Dumbledore asked carefully.

"Are you kidding?" Hermione heard herself splutter. Severus bit back a laugh at Dumbledore's startled look. "Do you honestly think I'd be bandying about with it on if I'd known what it was?"

"Of course not!" Pieter said with a laugh. "Although it is traditional to go somewhere exotic during your holiday."

The Brotherhood members each held the Shard in their hands for a moment in turn. Nicolai bowed to Nyssa before handing the Shard over to the Amazons to have their turn examining it.

Hermione walked back to her chair and reached for her cup of tea. She sipped at it and shook her head as Pieter reached for another cookie while Anna was refilling teapots throughout the room.

"That would be an interesting Christmas trip. We should take your mother." Pieter smiled at Severus. "She would be more than happy to protect us. It would be like the safaris she used to organize when we were small"

"Can we leave here there when we're done?" Severus asked with mock interest as he sipped from his cup.

Hermione kicked him gently in the shin. "Knock that off. Your mother loves you."

She looked at Severus curiously. "She used to organize safaris?"

"Oh, yes!" Pieter exclaimed, showering Hermione with cookie crumbs. "Every summer we would go to Africa to look for crumple-horned snorkacks!"

"What?!" Hermione choked.

Severus groaned.

"There was a myth when we were young- how did it go Severus?" Pieter said with a smile on his face. He was savoring the act of embarrassing his cousin in front of Hermione.

"There once was a unicorn that fell in love with a reindeer." Severus said with a scowl. "They bred a foal that had a twisted volatile horn, a coat of gold, and stardust glitters in its wake. The hair from the tail of the crumple-horned snorkack, when used in wandmaking, will create a wand that can change destinies and shape reality."

"So we went looking for them." Pieter said, a satisfied look on his face.

"Reindeer in Africa?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Only my wife, of all the things she's just been told, decided a reindeer in Africa is the strangest." Severus shook his head at her.

Pieter chuckled. "We decided when we were about seven that they must have migrated."

"Well, that makes sense." Hermione said.

"Hermione?" Nicolai said.

"Yes?" Hermione hurried over to the cluster of magic users.

"Viktor claims you are Muggle born, is this right?" Nicolai asked.

"That's right." Hermione said.

"Not a magical grandparent or great grandparent? Sometimes they told their children they were faith healers or touched by God." Nicolai said anxiously.

"No old family stories like that that I know of." Hermione frowned. "I'll ask my parents at Christmas, but I would think if they knew anything they'd have put it together by now and said something."

"Perhaps." Nyssa said, her lips pursed as she examined Hermione, as if by looking at her Nyssa could divine Hermione's genetic code.

"It would be interesting to test the bloodlines of your parents." Nicolai mused.

"It would not." Pieter snapped. "It would be archaic and insulting."

"I'm not sure my parents would mind." Hermione admitted, putting a hand on Pieter's arm. "Genetic testing is being looked at seriously in the Muggle world. Crossing magic and medicine may just be a few years off."

"Have you even told them about this?" Pieter asked under his breath.

Hermione's reddening cheeks answered his question.

"Well, you might want to ask them if they would consider it." Nyssa said. "Just as a curiosity. It would be interesting to see if your Muggle parents were capable of using a magical device attuned to their bloodline. It could lead to a breakthrough of magical objects that can be used by Muggles."

"Are you planning on breaking the Secrecy Vows?" Nicolai raised an eyebrow at her.

Pieter had told Hermione the Brotherhood was against the Secrecy Laws from their first conception. They would like nothing better than for the world to know what a wonderful library they had. Historically, the Amazons said it was just because the Brotherhood liked to show off far too much, and they could hardly be considered secret society if they kept up their escapades.

Pieter didn't disagree, but he pointed out the Amazon attack that created Siberia was hardly subtle.

"Not at all, but we have never limited the transference of knowledge to Muggle families of magic users. They know about us. Why not be able to give your mother a blanket she was able to change the color and temperature of? I'm not suggesting we make Muggle-ready wands that hold magic, but household items are harmless enough."

"Muggle-ready wands?" Nicolai mused. "I think asking the Jotun to stay above ground permanently would be less destructive."

"I'll speak to my parents over the holiday." Hermione said quickly. "We'll let you know after the beginning of the year."

"Hermione's bloodline appears to be anything but normal." Severus remarked. "If we test one parent we should test both so we know where her celestial origins come from and see how a control subject reacts."

Pieter turned to glare at Severus. "I cannot believe you think this is a good idea."

"We're not forcing them." Severus said coldly. "It's a curiosity. If they show no interest that will be the end of that. Hermione can't be the only one that this thing will talk to. You're talking about 1500 years of people on an island making babies. I'm sure there are more families that will get the same reaction. She was just lucky."

"People did have boats, Severus." Pieter said. "And Britain was a popular place. Plenty of people came and went. You may have to search the world before you find this set of circumstances."

"More the reason to suggest it." Nyssa said.

"Testing bloodlines is always a bad idea." Pieter shook his head. "It excuses all sorts of unethical behaviors." He glared at Severus. "If they considered this we would have to be very careful about it."

"There's no reason not to get the governments involved." Hermione said quickly. "And Arthur Weasley is an expert in Muggle-Wizarding hybrid objects. He's waiting for a report on our findings tonight anyway."

"Do you think we could squeeze in a meeting with your parents before they make a decision?" Nyssa asked. "Just to show them some of our theories and to show them exactly what we would be doing?"

"We will discuss it." Hermione said. "I'll let you know the day after Christmas."

"Thank you." Nicolai said with a courteous bow.

oOoOo

"Was it wonderful?" Asta asked Nyssa as the older woman rose to the library on the floating platform that helped people travel from level to the next in the Bibliothecha oo Amazon.

"It was quite exceptional." Nyssa assured her assistant. "I'm sure Hermione will allow you a private viewing and that lovely Pieter is making arrangements for you to receive your brand so that you may examine it properly."

"I should write them a letter thanking them for making allowances." Asta said thoughtfully.

"That would be acceptable." Nyssa said. The communication between the Amazons and the Brotherhood were still being kept to a minimum.

"Did we learn anything new?" Asta asked. "Was there a message?"

"Yes." Nyssa said hesitantly. "There was. And a vision to go with it."

"Really?" Asta's eyes widened. "Is it as important as we thought it would be?"

"Even more so." Nyssa said, clearing her voice. "It seems the Shard is meant to be used for transportation."

"Transportation?" Asta tried to wrinkle her nose, but while skin around it seemed to wrinkle, her nose stayed stationary. "Like a portkey?"

"More like a portable dimensional portal." Nyssa said, gauging Asta's reaction.

Asta looked thoughtful for a moment before her face froze and her eyes rose to meet Nyssa's.

"I can go back home?"


	31. Chapter 31

Asta had plain quarters in the Amazonian tower.

The floor was white marble, the walls white and free of pictures or decorations. One wall had a door; across from it the opposing wall had a small window to let light in.

A short bookcase was tucked away under the window and an old rocking chair sat nearby. A small purple fire burned in a white stone box mounted on the wall. It was opposite a small bed that sported a jolly yellow blanket.

Asta was sitting in her chair reading a historical text about the war with the Brotherhood; trying desperately not to think about the Shard and its hidden portal when there was a light knock at her door.

She rose from the ancient chair and it creaked noisily. She shot it a wary look, as if it would collapse in a heap before her eyes. It didn't. Good, the enchantment was holding nicely.

Asta knew very well that chairs weren't supposed to last 600+ years, but this was her favorite chair and she hated to see it go.

She dropped her book on her bed as she passed it and opened her door.

"Well, this is a surprise!" Asta's eyebrows went up when she saw who was. "Is there more news about the Shard?"

Sophia and Nyssa were standing in her doorway. Nyssa looked furious and Sophia looked highly amused.

"Is there something wrong?" Asta's eyes widened.

Nyssa opened her mouth, but Sophia laid a hand on the younger woman's plump arm and her mouth snapped shut.

"No, dear," Sophia said quickly. "But something has arrived for you."

"Arrived for me?" Asta looked confused. "From whom? I don't know anyone. Why would anyone send me something?"

"I have my suspicions," Sophia said with a twinkle in her eye.

Asta followed the women down through the tower. The living quarters were near the top of the tower, under the astronomy laboratory and observation deck. Past that there were personal offices and teaching areas. The library and communications sections were below that before they reached the common area on the ground floor.

Asta followed the women: Sophia hobbling along, Nyssa stalking through the tower, towards the big doors that opened to the drawbridge. Small huddles of Amazonian women and girls seemed to be giggling and whispering to each other.

Alexandra gave Asta a wink as she passed by. Asta frowned in confusion.

She felt profoundly uncomfortable. She had never quite fit in as well as she would have liked and the other Amazons made her nervous at times. It was why she spent a lot of time in her room.

Was this some sort of a joke? She had never fully understood human humor.

Sophia waved her wand and the heavy door leading outside slowly began to slide open. Nyssa tapped her foot impatiently and gave Sophia a look that told Asta that whatever they were doing, she thought it a waste of time. Sophia beckoned to Asta and the younger woman followed. The three women stepped out into the light of the afternoon and Asta blinked at what stood before her.

There was a silver dragon the size of a small dog staring at her. It wore a small blue tag bearing Asta's name in a swirly green hand. She looked at Sophia and then back to the dragon.

A clockwork key on the top of its head started turning and a sweet, lilting tune came from the dragon.

There was a soft sigh behind her. Asta turned to see a dozen Amazonian heads poking out of the tower, watching the little dragon.

Nyssa started grumbling.

The dragon did a small pirouette and small hinges creaked as its chest opened. A single rose carved from dark wood inched towards her on the end of an accordion hinged extender.

"Absolutely not!" Nyssa thundered. "She's far too young!"

"It looks as if your young man is a historian." Sophia said with a small chuckle and not a little pride in her voice. "A fine choice."

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Asta said tentatively.

"You see!" Nyssa clapped her hands together. "That settles it! She has no idea what she's getting into! The whole thing is preposterous to begin with! I will write to that Nicolai at once to have him reign in his little heathens!"

"Oh, hush." Sophia said making a sour face. "The acceptance of the rose signifies a courtship, not a wedding."

"He probably does not even know what his boys are up to!" Nyssa continued on as if Sophia hadn't spoken.

"We can go talk to the Priestess if there's any doubt to his intentions," Sophia reasoned. "She will talk to their Priest. It is the way of things and it is not ours to change."

Nyssa was still huffing. Small black tendrils of hair had snaked loose of the carefully arranged piles of hair on her head, making her look like she had been struck by lightening.

"Mikhail wants to court me?" The tips of Asta's hair glowed blue.

"You see, Nyssa." Sophia tried to calm down Nyssa with a reassuring tone to her voice. "She knows who it has come from."

"But we don't know what desire means to her," Nyssa insisted. "Was she drawn to sex? To the scent of blood? The combination of the two? Say she lets this boy court her and she kills him accidentally? Where will our negotiations be then? I say 'NO' Sophia. It is just too dangerous!"

"We will let the Priestess decide." Sophia said firmly. "And there will be no more discussion on the matter until then."

Nyssa scowled but was silent.

"He likes me." Asta said. "That's why I chose him at the ceremony."

"What, dear?" Sophia asked softly.

"He smelled different from the others and he kept watching me." Asta said as she looked at the small dragon. "Like when Severus looks at Hermione."

"Pheromones." Nyssa groaned.

"If her response was triggered from pheromones then she's of age to mate," Sophia pointed out.

"I'm over a thousand years old." Asta said without taking her eyes off of the little silver dragon. "It is probably time for me to become a woman."

Nyssa and Asta looked at each other with worry.

-+-+-

Hermione and Severus held hands on their couch, their opposite hands resting on the Shard. Their eyes took on the same crystalline look of it.

As they took their hands off it, Severus took a deep breath. "Well, that was most informative."

"So you saw the vision?" Hermione said excitedly.

"I think you should share this with Dumbledore." Severus said slowly.

"Yes, of course." Hermione hurriedly tucked it away in the tan leather pouch she concealed it in and placed it back around her neck.

Severus examined his wife's face. "You know, most people just dream of marrying a woman with a face like a goddess."

Hermione made a rude face at him.

"Whoever would have thought I would get Medusa?" Severus reached out and tweaked one of Hermione's curls.

"How very Slytherin of you," Hermione said with a grin.

"Touché." Severus leaned over and kissed her cheek.

-+-+-

Hermione tentatively knocked on the Headmaster's office door. She hastily wondered if she should have made an appointment with him.

"Come in."

The headmaster sat behind his heavy desk looking over scrolls.

"Madame Snape, what a pleasant surprise." He smiled and folded his hands over his paperwork."

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you-" Hermione started, but Dumbledore just waved her worries away with a flip of his hand.

"Not at all. I was just going over some reports the Governors sent for me to look at. You'd think they didn't understand it takes money to run a school."

Hermione chuckled. At least it was nice to know part of the world was back to normal.

"Severus thought you should see this, Professor." Hermione said as she took the shard from around her neck. "It shows a bit of its history, but we should be sitting down before activating it."

"Well, I am grateful for the distraction." Dumbledore rose to his feet and gestured for Hermione to sit on an overstuffed burgundy loveseat.

She sank into the soft curves of the seat and waited for Dumbledore to settle in next to her. He smiled at her expectantly and waited for her to present the Shard.

"We do have to join hands." Hermione explained as she held out her hand. The Shard sitting was sitting in her palm. Dumbledore covered the Shard with his hand and closed it gently over hers.

Hermione stood near Dumbledore as he watched the memory trapped within the Shard play out.

When it was done Dumbledore tipped it into her hand and he looked weary as he took his gold wire rimmed spectacles off and polished them on the sleeve of his robes.

"You do know what a gift that Shard is, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked as he set them back upon his nose.

"Nope." Hermione brushed him off with a wave of her hand. "Gaudy thing. I was thinking about tossing it up at the next Hogsmede swap meet."

The silver chain glinted in the candlelight as Hermione gestured with the Shard in her hand.

"Your husbands' bad habits are beginning to rub off on you, Madame Snape." Dumbledore looked as if he were fiercely trying not to smile.

Hermione snorted and Dumbledore allowed himself a quirk of his lips.

"I assure you I guard the Shard at all times." Hermione hastily told Dumbledore. "I never take it off unless we're examining it."

"I know that." Dumbledore said patiently. "That is what I am alluding to."

"You think it may not be good for me even though our tests found nothing." Hermione sighed.

"I think any tests done on advanced magical technology are inconclusive until proven otherwise." Dumbledore looked at her over the tops of his glasses. "Before we could identify genes, they were still there. Before we could prove the world was round it still was."

"Good point." Hermione relented. She looked at Dumbledore sadly. "This is where you tell me you're going to make sure it's in a safe location, right?"

"No." Dumbledore assured Hermione. "This is where I tell you to make sure it's in a safe location. I would suggest you get a vault at Gringotts. The goblins are more than adequate for guarding such a thing, but if you let them know what they were guarding it would do much for wizard – goblin relations."

Hermione pursed her lips as she thought upon this for a moment.

"Well, you should think about it." Dumbledore patted her on the knee and she knew she was being dismissed.

"I will." Hermione put the Shard back around her neck. "But I think that's probably a very good idea."

Hermione saw herself out of Dumbledore's office and started the walk back to the quarters she shared with Severus.

She heard the familiar sound of a wet brush on stone and wasn't surprised to see Mr. Filch scrubbing away at a wall when she turned a corner.

Hermione stopped to read what had been scrawled on the stone wall: _Who are you when no one is watching?_

Foe some reason Hermione felt a chill go up her spine.

"Has there been much graffiti lately, Mr. Filch?" Hermione asked politely.

"More writing on walls, that's for sure." Filch growled as he dipped his brush with long. Stiff brown bristles into the bucket of soapy water near him.

"The next time it happens, please notify me." Hermione said brusquely as she waved her wand and the words disappeared under the power of her Cleaning Charm.

"Yes, Madame Snape." Filch allowed the corners of his mouth to twitch at the wall cleaning. "As soon as I find them."

"Thank you."

Hermione felt uneasy about cryptic graffiti on the walls of the school. If anything he'd at least seek her out next time in the hopes she'd clean the wall for him.

Filch gathered up his cleaning supplies and hobbled down the corridor in the direction that Hermione had come from.

Hermione hurried back to her quarters. For some reason she didn't feel quite as safe anymore.


	32. Chapter 32

Ginny Weasley grumbled in her sleep and unsuccessfully tried to ignore a red light that seemed to be growing brighter with each passing moment. She finally gave in and blinked her eyes sleepily at the crystal flower Harry had given her.

The petals were open, and Harry's small face, with its slitted eyes and large scar, were peering at her and she felt thankful that her thick bed curtains held the light back from the rest of the room.

"Hello, Harry," Ginny whispered to the image of his face.

Harry's face smiled and winked at her.

"Tonight?" She asked.

Harry nodded and seemed to sigh. She smiled lazily up at the flower as the petals slowly closed and the light went out.

Ginny pulled back her bed curtain and swung her feet out of bed. She winced as they hit the cold stone floor and she scurried to complete her task. She quickly pulled a bag out from under her bed before climbing back onto it and pulling the curtains shut.

She whispered an incantation and her enclosed area was magically soundproofed and with a flick of her wand she had light. She quickly dressed in a Muggle sweater and jeans before pulling Harry's invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map out of the bag. She was hoping she wouldn't have to use them, but best to take them, just in case.

Harry had insisted she keep them with her at Hogwarts because she'd find more uses for them than he would. Tonight she was thankful for it.

She extinguished the light from her wand and pocketed it before slipping out of her bed and into her shoes. She closed her bed curtains and crept over to the small iron stove in the center of the room and gently opened the small door in the side. She scowled and gingerly placed a piece of wood she found in a basket nearby onto the embers and poked it with her wand. If it burned out someone might get up to restart it and notice her absence.

She pulled the invisibility cloak around her shoulders before pulling the cowl over her head.

Ginny froze as she heard one of the other girls turn over in her sleep, but the sound of stirring stopped and Ginny let out the breath she had been holding.

She tiptoed out of the room and down to the common room. She stood in front of the embers smoldering in the grand fireplace and prayed this would work. If it didn't she'd have a long trek through the castle to look forward to. She pulled a small brown pouch from her pocket and thew its contents into the fire. When the green flames leapt up, she grinned.

Sirius had been able to talk to Harry in the Gryffindor fireplace her third year because Sirius had connected it to his parent's house on a two way link when he was at Hogwarts, undetectable by the Ministry because it wasn't linked up to the Floo network at all.

When Umbridge came to power, she didn't have each fireplace disconnected, she just blocked Transportation Charms from the whole of Hogwarts, with the only exception being the Headmaster's Office.

McGonagall had recently lifted the spell blocking magical transportation from the castle and had, as Harry as suspected, it had made the link from the Gryffindor common room to Grimmauld place functional again.

She was grateful she didn't have to sneak around the castle, but she snorted at all the precautions she had taken. She could have just walked down in her pajamas and said she was going to the small, hidden bathroom off of the common room.

She stepped into the green flames and said: "_Twelve Grimmauld Place!"_

She felt the flames tickle her as she was whisked away from the common room and into the room Harry now used as his office.

She felt strong hands grab her and she was pulled into the room roughly. Lips pressed against hers and she giggled in surprise. A hand reached up and cupped one of her breasts and she groaned and pressed into it.

"It's a torture waiting for you," Harry murmured at her as he slid an arm around her.

"If the Floo hadn't worked you'd still be waiting!" Ginny laughed as he ran his hand down her sweater to and slide it under the hem, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin under his hands.

He slid his arms around her and ran his hands over her back, exploring the clasp of her bra.

"Hey!" Ginny said, pushing him away gently. "What are you being so fast about?"

She thought she saw a flash of anger cross his features, but he took a deep breath and smiled at her.

"Just- glad to see you, that's all." Harry said as he looked into her eyes.

Ginny gazed up and willed herself not to flinch. She had stared into Tom's eyes before. She had stared into Voldemort's eyes before. Now she had to see them in Harry's face and it pained her. She should have been able to protect him better. "Have you been having a bad day?"

He gazed at her for a moment before pulling her close to him and inhaling deeply.

"It's only one more year," Ginny said softly.

"You're going to make me wait a whole year?" Harry's touch was tender, but there was an edge to his voice.

Ginny looked up at him sternly. "If I feel like it."

Harry opened his mouth, but closed it quickly and took a deep breath. "Of course."

"Or sooner if I feel like it," Ginny said with a mischievous smile. "You have had a rough day, haven't you?"

"Sorry," Harry said. His face scrunched up and his scar wriggled on his face. "Things have been a little… intense lately."

"Those letters getting to you?" Ginny asked as she looked over his shoulder at the mailbags and piles of various letters and scrolls.

"It wasn't so bad getting the crazy letters at school." Harry shook his head. "There was always stuff to distract me and it was just... different."

"It must be rough here with just Ron and Neville," Ginny said sympathetically.

"Well, I did hire a couple more house elves," Harry grinned as Ginny's hands slid their way down his back and cupped his arse. "After things settled down, quite a few families had their estates seized and their elves freed."

"Oh, Gods!" Ginny snickered as she buried her head against his shoulder. "That must've created an uproar."

"Yea, well at least we managed to claim a couple for our household and one for the Burrow," Harry shrugged. "They were happy to be assigned to pure-blood homes."

"It's going to take awhile for them to get used to all the changes." Ginny sighed as she rested her head against Harry. She inhaled deeply and took in the scent of him.

"No doubt." Harry said as he guided her over to an overstuffed couch. He waved his wand and flames roared in the fireplace as the lights dimmed.

"You know I love coming to see you, Harry," Ginny said as they sat down. "But I do have classes in the morning. I'd rather you summon me on Friday or Saturday nights so I can sleep in."

"I know," Harry said apologetically. "But I found another one and-"

"Another of the boys that bullied Tom in the orphanage?" Ginny interrupted, her eyes growing wide. "I can't believe you're managing to find them all, Harry."

Her eyes searched his face. It was hard for her to read him these days. She was used to the face he was born with, not this twisted manifestation of what had nearly destroyed him.

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked quietly as she covered his hand with hers. "It's not like they can be charged anymore. They must all be very old."

"Of course they are." Harry said chortling. "But it makes you wonder how many others they made life hell for. I'll make sure some sort of justice is served. Don't you worry."

Despite his words, Ginny looked at Harry with concern.

"It's a pleasure to gain your family's custom."

Hermione was walking down a narrow passageway deep underground, her legs still shaky from the harrowing trip through the bowels of Gringotts Wizarding Bank in a small enchanted cart. "Thank you, Griphook. Professor Dumbledore assured me that Gringotts is the best there is."

"He is right." Griphook agreed. "We have security measures like no other."

Hermione nearly rammed into the back of him as he suddenly stopped in front of a small metal door. She took a step back as he unlocked it.

The door swung open and a thin white mist seemed to roll out of it.

"Your vault, madam." Griphook bowed slightly and stepped aside so Hermione could enter the small room.

She felt silly placing the small bag in the center of the room without so much as a table to go under it, but the room was for protection, not display. She set it on the floor and walked out.

Griphook relocked the room and they clamored back into the tiny cart they had arrived in. Hermione held onto the edge with white knuckles as it whizzed over narrow tracks that didn't seem stable enough to support it as they made their way back to the main floor of the bank.

When they finally arrived to the main floor, Severus was waiting for them, a smirk plastered across his face.

"Enjoy the ride?"

"Bugger off," Hermione grumbled as she walked towards him shakily.

Severus shook his head as he held up a cloak for her to shrug into. "You'll feel better after lunch."

"I doubt it." Hermione said grumpily. "But at least the amulet is safe."

"Next time I'll bring a potion for motion sickness," Severus reassured her. "But I'm sure Tom has something."

Hermione nodded her head gratefully. She wasn't sure whether she was more reassured that she would soon feel better or that the Shard was now under better care than she could give it.

"Here is a brochure for Madam." Griphook handed Hermione a glossy folded parchment. "About transferring your Muggle accounts to Gringotts. It's a much more secure system and when you put your money in you actually get your money out! No more worrying about who's been touching it or where it's been."

Hermione thanked him and as she and Severus left the bank she began giggling. "Do you ever worry about who's been touching your money?"

"Only when Fletcher is in the vicinity," Severus said with a snort.

They made their way through Diagon Alley, past the small shops with their window displays promoting wizarding wares. Hermione glanced in Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and paused a moment to look at a Hogwarts scarf that had a hood attached to it.

"I should get one for myself," Hermione teased him. "For the next Quidditch match.

He snorted. "Not if you're going to sit near me."

"You would banish me from your side for cheering for my own House?" Hermione laughed as they passes a group of teenagers that seemed to shrink back at the sight of Severus. "Well, maybe I should do it then. Show them how to really cheer their team on."

Severus groaned at her mischievous expression. "You would, wouldn't you?"

"With unrestrained glee," Hermione sighed as she smiled at him.

He snorted at her and pretended to study a poster that had been tacked onto the wall. He frowned.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"Dark Magic Repelling Cream," Severus read aloud. "What is this nonsense?"

"People taking advantage of a situation." Hermione said bitterly.

Severus nodded and scowled at the poster. "This looks like something Fletcher dreamed up."

"Probably," Hermione giggled. Severus looked at her sharply. "Well, let's face it. He might as well have a sign around his neck saying 'con man.'"

"True." Severus sighed as he turned away from the poster. "If he's gotten this cocky he'll be caught soon enough."

"Too bad the people that are swindled don't get their money back." Hermione said as her eyes lit up at a shop window full of tiny glass figurines. Every few minutes they leapt up and moved around. Ballerinas danced; kittens played with glass balls of yarn; crystal dogs wagged their tails and silently barked.

"They do," Severus said, surprised. "The Ministry seizes everything he's got if the money's gone, then he has to work off the rest until everyone is paid back."

"Then why be a thief at all?" Hermione shook her head. "I'll never understand."

"Ah, but you see, there's the problem." Severus leaned forward to have a closer look at a glass eagle that was stretching it's wings. "One mistake and you're stuck."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine a person. They do one stupid thing in their youth and think they get away with it. They spend the money on disposable things. Food, drink, entertainment. Then when they are caught they have to pay it back, but it's all gone. Everything you make is seized from the Ministry to pay back your debts and you don't have anything left to live on."

"Oh!" Hermione said. "Then you'd be forced to commit more crimes to live. Well, that's a seriously flawed law."

"Arthur's been working against it for years. Maybe he can finally push it through." Severus remarked as the figures froze again.

They made their way to the Leaky Cauldron where they were warmly greeted by Tom, the owner. After telling him what they wanted he waved them off and told them to get a table. They chose a small booth in the corner with worn leather seats and a polished wooden table.

When their food and drinks were brought over to them Severus cast a secrecy charm around the booth. "I feel much better with that thing locked up."

"I'd kind of rather have it with me," Hermione admitted sheepishly as she contemplated her dinner plate. "It's like I'm missing it."

"No doubt," Severus said dryly. "If you are one of the descendents of Heimdall it's pull to you would grow stronger the more you wear it."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked as she took a bite of potato.

"So if it's lost you'll be able to track it. Of course, if another descendent found it, it would begin to adapt to the other person and your bond to it would start to disintegrate."

"A lot of time has passed since Heimdall was spreading his offspring around," Hermione admitted. "There could be thousands of people that could use it."

"Including Muggles and Squibs," Severus pointed out.

Hermione's eyes went wide as comprehension dawned on her. "Do you mean to say a Muggle could use the Shard to open the door to the Joutun?"

"It's possible." Severus speared a wilted carrot with his fork. "I'm not young enough to be that curious anymore."

"You know what? Neither am I." Hermione squeezed his knee under the table and he quirked a corner of his mouth at her.

Detective Nigel Warren sat at his desk at the police station, a tower of papers on his desk and a large cup of coffee steaming nearby.

"You sure you don't want to share a cab?" Thomas Byron swung his expensive black coat onto his shoulders.

"I'm just going to stay at Ryan's flat tonight." Nigel waved off his partner. "He's just around the corner and he's family. I'd just bother Alice all night if I went home when I feel so close."

"The only thing you're close to is an aneurysm." Thomas snorted as he picked up the newspaper on the corner of his desk. "Don't stay too late. The cleaning ladies don't like it when they have to scrape drool off the desks."

Nigel waved off the younger man and went back to his stack of papers. Once Thomas was gone, Nigel dove into the stack with gusto. He pulled his briefcase out from under the desk and opened it quickly, snatching his wand out of it and pointing it at the pile.

He muttered a few words and did some complicated gestures and the papers rose up in the air and began shuffling themselves. Small tags and post-its flew through the air like tossed confetti and when it had all settled, there were small piles of papers on his desk and the ones surrounding it, one pile neatly stacked in front of him, hot pink tags marking the top right corner of each page.

He picked them up and started flipping. He frowned at what he saw. He looked at the other stacks around him and went over to flip through each in turn. When he was done he shrugged and pushed his lower lip out. He didn't know what he had found, but it it was the only link he had to go on.

He pulled out a pad of paper from his desk and scrawled a note on it before folding it up and tapping it with his wand. He went to the window and whistled and soon a large eagle owl swooped down, out of the darkness to perch on a fixture for mounting flags outside the building.

"Take this to the Minister, Icarus," he told the owl in a low voice. "Top priority. No idea what it is, but I'm sure someone does."

The owl hooted in a low tone before allowing himself to be given the note and enchanted with a protection charm. He took a last look at the small man before leaping off the fixture, his wings opening to catch the wind, and he glided off into the night.


	33. Chapter 33

"It's just a small gathering," Hermione was trying not to sound whiny, but she knew she was failing miserably. "Just a local thing, really."

Severus gave her a withering look over the top of his reading glasses. He sighed and shook his head. "I should wring that stupid cousin of mine's neck for bringing this up in the first place."

"Anna will be lonely," Hermione pointed out.

Severus snorted. "I thought you said this was just a local thing."

"Erm... relatively..." Hermione faltered.

"Relative to what?" Severus prodded.

"Europe," Hermione said quickly.

He quirked his head to the side and laughed, in spite of himself. "No!"

"Why don't you want to?" Hermione asked him, her arms folded over her chest. She looked down at him as he put the scrolls he was looking at on the coffee table.

"I've been to them before." He screwed up his face. "You might be treated with some status, but sometimes things get ugly."

"For being Muggle born?" Hermione said, her face a look of shock.

"That... and for not knowing your place in the grand social dance going on around you... your posture, your shoes, your dancing skills, your ability to cast pretty, yet completely useless charms, and that's just for starters." Severus snorted. "Bunch of bullies."

"Did they bully you?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed.

"No." He hesitated. "I used to be one of them."

"Well, then you'll know when it's time to swoop in and rescue me," Hermione said testily.

"You'll have to reign yourself in," Severus said as he sat back on the couch. "This isn't just about you or us, it's about centuries of cat and mouse games within rival families for respect and power in their lands of origin. You won't be able to speak your mind. It could effect the family's business holdings."

Hermione seemed to chew this over for a moment. "What if I'm attacked?"

"If someone is stupid enough to draw their wand, hex them into oblivion," Severus said firmly. "If Anna doesn't get to them first."

"Or your mother..." Hermione muttered.

"Oh, I should have guessed!" Severus groaned dramatically and crossed his arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, her chin jutting out defiantly and her hands on her hips.

"That my mother is an idiot."

"Your mother is a very nice woman!" Hermione chided him.

"My mother is a great big pain in the-"

"_Excuse me?"_

Severus jumped and turned white at the appearance of his mother's face in their fireplace. It was scowling at him.

"How long have you been there?" Severus tried to sound angry, but he wavered upon seeing his mother's glare.

"Long enough to think I'm a pain only God knows where!"

Hermione found herself giggling in spite of her face.

"Hermione, dear heart, I see you've been doing your best to ply him out of his temper," Anastasia said lovingly. "But I think this will take a more direct approach." Her eyes snapped to Severus, who jumped. "Severus Benjamin Rufus Snape, you will be taking your new bride to the Autumn Gala to present her to polite society, and that is an _order!"_

"_Mother..."_

Hermione found herself biting her lip as Severus completely lost his composure and whined at the Snape family matron.

His mother was pulled away from the fireplace and Jacob's head popped into view. "Severus, if you don't comply she may finally nag me to death. If you love me, for the love of God, show up, do a turn, and leave."

A scroll appeared out of nowhere and rapped him soundly on the head. He disappeared and Anastasia appeared again, a scowl on her face. "I've made some notes for you to look over. You've been out of society so long you won't know half the people there."

He let out another groan, but stopped as his mother reached her arm out of the fireplace and snapped her fingers at him.

"This is your own fault! You knew this day would come!"

"I certainly did not!" Severus blustered at her.

"Well, I did and that's what is important!" Her voice was rising in pitch and Hermione was interested to see where this was going.

"I'll go, I'll go!" Severus threw his hands up in the air. "I'd rather bloody well hang myself, but I have a feeling you'd somehow revive me and make me suffer every second of my recovery time."

"Don't be a smart with me!" He mother snapped at him, but her expression had softened. "Here you go." She tossed the scroll into the room; it rolled across the floor until it came to rest at Severus' feet. "You'll have a good time, Severus. You always used to."

"I've grown up," he said with a pained look on his face.

"You'll see," his mother assured him. "Hermione, don't be afraid to pop over if you have any questions. I have a feeling you're going to have many of them."

"How did you get linked up to this Floo, anyway?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"Your father golfs with the Minister." Anastasia shrugged.

"Of course he does," Severus muttered,

"Thanks," Hermione said to Anastasia, who took her eyes off Severus to beam at her daughter-in-law.

"It was nothing, my dear," she said warmly. "I'll see you soon."

Hermione thanked her again and they said their goodbyes.

Severus sat on the couch, his arms folded in front of him, glaring at Hermione.

"Oh, what? You're blaming me?" She blustered.

"You're joking," he said, completely blown-away. "How is this _not _your fault?"

"I was just trying to make it less painless, you bloody wanker," she snapped at him. "She said you were going if she had to Imperio you!"

Severus opened and closed his mouth, finally settling on an irritated look. "She would, too."

"I know." Hermione nodded seriously. "That's why I tried to convince you."

"Even if I'm a bloody wanker?" He gave her a tired, sheepish look.

"Even then." She slid next to him on the couch and put her arms around him. He grumbled, but didn't pull away.

"I hate these things."

"I know."

"Will you be wearing descent robes, at least?" He glanced at her.

"Listen here, Rufus. I'll wear whatever I like whenever I like." She snorted at him and he chuckled, in spite of himself.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. He looked her over again. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but you should go shopping with Anna or Mother. They'll know what all the styles and trends are this season and they can show you how to charge the family accounts."

"I can buy my own dress robes," Hermione said defensively.

"I know that, but father can use it as a business expense and I know Mother will insist," he said with a resigned sigh.

"What about you?" Hermione asked.

"It doesn't matter. Mother will insist I wear something she picked out." He snorted.

She felt a corner of her mouth quirk. "Won't let you go in all black?"

" I don't even want to think of some of the monstrosities she's made me wear." He shuddered. "Pastel purple and off white. Can you imagine?"

Hermione _could_ imagine, and she had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing.

"I'll make sure this year's selection isn't a horror," she assured him.

"Well, there's something to look forward to," he said sarcastically.

"If the fireplace is hooked up to the Floo Network you can go visit Pieter more," Hermione pointed out. "Invite him over for some fishing and a Brotherhood/Hogwarts information exchange."

Severus perked up a little at this. "I suppose I can, can't I?"

Hermione sighed and put her arms around him. He was still a grouchy old bear, but he was _her _grouchy old bear and she loved him for it.

۞

"But the pink is so lovely..." Anastasia Snape trailed off as her eyes wandered over the dress robes in front of her.

"He'd make sure to have some sort of accident so he could change," Hermione said firmly. "They're beautiful, but it would be completely wasted on him.

"You are right." Stacy pouted at the robes. "Stubborn little beetle that he is."

"Beetle?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself.

"That's where he got all that nonsense from," Stacy snorted as she pulled some light blue dress robes off a rack. "His grandmother gave him a black blanket when he was five. He crawled around everywhere pretending he was a beetle until he decided it made a better cape. He tried to take it with him to school, but I made him leave it behind. That's when he started enlarging his robes." She turned to face Hermione. "Just for spite, I tell you!"

Hermione giggled. "So he's always been like this?"

"He has!" She stated firmly.

"I think you'd go a lot farther with jewel tones," Hermione suggested.

As Stacy began to mull this over, a salesman with wavy golden hair and a wide feral grin approached them.

"Ah, it's always nice to see sisters coming in together," he said warmly. "How may I assist you?"

One of his eyebrows quirked as he set his sights on Stacy.

"Young man, I am old enough to be your grandmother," Stacy said in a sharp tone. "Now stop being silly and show me what you have in elven-made dress robes."

The salesman boggled before bowing slightly and bustling away to gather some designs to show them.

"Why do you tell people how old you are when you go through all the trouble of taking the youth potions?" Hermione asked curiously.

"How will people know how good I look for my age if I don't tell them?" Stacy said as if this were completely obvious.

Hermione started to giggle. "Good point."

"Now let's go find our salesman with his tight little butt," Stacy said, taking Hermione's arm.

Hermione couldn't contain herself and laughed out loud as her mother-in-law steered her towards their salesman and the rack of robes he had compiled for them to browse.

After some debate about fabrics and colors, Hermione and Stacy finally came to agreement on dress robes for Severus.

"Now we get to look for your robes, Stacy said with a twinkle in her eye. "There's another shop I'd like to look in."


	34. Chapter 34

Hermione was dead tired, her arms around a First Year Slytherin girl who was finally sleeping, even though tears still streaked her face. She was gently disentangling herself when she felt something buzz in her pocket.

She bit back a curse as the girl frowned and began squirming. Hermione gently tucked her into bed and held her breath, The little girl's face relaxed and she began sleeping soundly. Hermione let out her breath and scuttled out of the dormitory and into the Slytherin common room before pulling a coin out of her pocket.

_Greenhouse Four_

She frowned at the coin. She couldn't think if a single reason she should be summoned to the greenhouses at all and began to grow suspicious.

She made her way through the castle, taking a long path through corridors before exiting the castle and walking along it's perimeter until she could see the greenhouses.

All of them had lights blazing and she could see McGonagall, Dumbledore, Severus, Theodore Nott and Professor Sprout huddled together in what looked like a serious conversation.

Hermione bustled over once she saw that it was not a trap and was thankful when a wave of warmth washed over her as she opened the door.

"What took you so long?" Severus asked as soon as she was in and the door was shut behind her.

"Err..." Hermione fumbled. "I thought it might be some kind of trap so I took the long way around."

"Better to err on the side of caution." Sprout nodded.

"We have a problem," Theo said seriously. "Some plants have gone missing."

"I'm guessing they weren't daisies," Hermione said grimly.

"You're right about that," Sprout snorted. "It was a flourishing Adenium obesum."

"Isn't that poisonous?" Hermione asked.

"But it's a very pretty plant," McGonagall interjected. "For all we know it'll end up in one of the common rooms with a love note on it."

"We can always hope for the best," said Dumbledore. "But that plant can be very dangerous-

He froze at a humming sound and pulled a coin from his pocket.

"What is it, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

"The hospital wing." He frowned down at the coin.

"Did anyone else get a summons?" McGonagall asked and everyone shook their heads.

"So it's a member of the faculty." Severus said flatly.

⓪

Hermione sat on the worn couch in front of the fireplace in she and Severus' quarters, biting her nails. She jumped at the creaking of the door and let out a relieved breath as Severus stepped through.

"How's Mr. Filch?" Hermione asked, wincing as she saw an ancient tabby pad through the portal with him.

"He'll live. It's a good thing he was found so quickly." Severus shook his head. "Bloody blow-dart to the back of his leg."

Hermione found herself shivering, in spite of the cozy room. Mrs. Norris didn't so much as look at Hermione before turning to go through the portal that led to her room.

"Cheeky," Hermione sniffed at the cat's retreating backside.

"There was something written on the wall," Severus said hesitantly.

"What was it?" Hermione asked, an angry ball of ice starting to form in her stomach.

"_Time to show yourselves," _Severus looked discontent. "Perhaps you should go for a visit somewhere."

"Where would I go?" Hermione laughed.

"My parents' house, your parents' house, Anna and Pieter's, even Yuri would like to see you." Severus suggested.

"My home is wherever you are," Hermione said firmly. "I will not have anyone chase me out of it."

Severus smiled, in spite of himself. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"So what now?" Hermione asked him.

"Plan B."

⓪

Hermione flexed her arms experimentally. "I think it fits correctly."

"Good. You aren't to take it off when you're outside of our quarters." Severus looked at her sternly.

"What about my head?" Hermione asked as Crookshanks and Mrs. Norris hopped off the couch, peering at her. "Surely you aren't expecting me to wear a dragon-hide hood as well."

"For that, we have this." Severus pulled a silver chain from his pocket. "When you wear it you might as well be wearing a glass helmet, even though you'll look normal."

"Like an invisible, heavy-duty, bubble-head charm?" She asked him.

"Exactly."

"Will it even work in the rain?" Hermione asked curiously as she watched the cats make their hesitant way towards her.

"Yes, and it only goes one way so if you sneeze it won't be a disaster."

"Oh, good," she said in a relieved tone as she looked back at him. "How will I eat?"

"In the Great Hall, in front of everyone," Severus said with a frown. "Unless it's in our quarters and only if an elf has brought it to you personally, or you have gone to the kitchens to fetch it yourself."

"Fine," Hermione said in a weary voice. "Anything else I should know?"

"If you are attacked, your Faculty Coin will alert the other members of the faculty," Severus nodded. "Who will be informed of your whereabouts and be able to come assist you."

"Don't you think this is all a little silly?" Hermione asked him. She looked down at Crookshanks and Mrs. Norris, who were sniffing at her suspiciously.

"Not in the least," he said coldly.

So, what about you?" Hermione asked testily.

"What_ about _me?" Severus asked, taken aback.

"You're a sympathizer and the reason I'm here in the first place," she pointed out. "Whoever it is, they'll be sure to come after you sooner or later."

"You can say that about any member of the staff!" Severus blustered.

"The more reason to have them_ all _under protections," Hermione said with a satisfied smirk. Crookshanks gave her leg an experimental swipe before jumping back at a metallic sound.

Severus glared at her for a moment, but then his shoulders slumped. "Perhaps it is a good precaution," he muttered.

"We can bring it up to Dumbledore," Hermione said gently as she leaned down to scratch Crookshanks on the head, but he ducked and slunk off quickly.

"I think we might be obligated to, if he hasn't already thought of it."

"Well, off to Diagon Alley with you for your own suit," Hermione scooted him towards the fireplace. "I'll stay here and terrorize the cats so they can get used to the smell."

⓪

The faculty of Hogwarts sat at the staff table in the Great Hall, fidgeting with their robes and settling in for their evening meal.

Professor Sinistra had acquired a silver chain, much like Hermione's, but had worn a small silver tikka she could attach it to while eating, keeping the rest of her head still covered. Hermione complimented her and soon the women were chattering about the ingenious enchanted jewelry that was being created as defense devices.

Professor Flitwick lifted a muffin to his mouth, only to have it bounce off an invisible barrier and crumble on to his plate. He swore and waved his wand: raising the chain in front of him and sticking to his forehead so it mimicked Sinistra's.

"It may take some getting used to, but as you can see, no one wants to take their protections off," Dumbledore said to Severus sympathetically.

Professor Hooch strode in, her robes discarded, shimmering as the candlelight glimmered off the small scales of her armor, showing off her impressive muscle structure. She sat down and waved her wand at her head. Her gold necklace had a circular charm on it and when she cast the spell it had snapped to her face and surrounded her mouth as the loose chain drew itself together to make a seam that led from her chin to her chest.

"Show-off," Flitwick muttered to himself as he tried to scoop up pieces of muffin with a spoon.

"What are you looking at, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Two fourth years," she said with a snort. "Young love gone awry."

"Oh dear," Professor Dumbledore said as he adjusted his spectacles as he watched the Ravenclaw table. A pretty red-haired girl was clutching her fork and seething at the Hufflepuff table; an attractive blond boy having his chin swiped at with a napkin held by a heavy-set girl with a bright smile.

"Oh..." Professor Sprout managed to squeak out as the girl completely lost it and lunged over the table, casting hexes as she went.

The Hall went berserk. Several students had already taken sides and jumped at the chance to get a blast in; the prefects were shouting for order, and a group of older students jumped in to try and pry people apart.

The faculty rose to their feet and suddenly Flitwick and Professor Vector began to glow red.

Dumbledore pointed at his voice and roared: "Get back to your Houses _IMMEDIATELY!" _A sound like a giant lion filled the room and the children scrambled among themselves to grab their things and run out of the Hall.

"What makes you think they won't just take it out into the hallway?" Severus asked him curiously.

Dumbledore waved him off. "If they were going to keep fighting they would have stayed where they were."

"I assure you, I will be talking to Miss Fredrickson," Flitwick said with a dark expression on his face.

"Let's take care of you first," Dumbledore said in a practical tone. "Don't move."

The other teachers gathered around the glowing members of the faculty and began to examine them.

"I found one," Hooch declared.

"I've got the other," Flitwick said, motioning over his shoulder.

Dumbledore examined both of them, plucking the small darts away from their armor and slipping them into an envelope. "I think we'll find these are the same as the others."

Flitwick let out a breath as he began to fade back to his normal appearance.

"That's not good," McGonagall murmured to herself.

"I shouldn't think so!" Flitwick scowled at her.

"What have you noticed?" Severus asked McGonagall.

"They were both hit in the back."

"So it didn't even come from the student area?" Vector asked in surprise.

"Not a chance," Hooch declared. "I think we need to make a sweep of the hall for booby-traps and everyone, take out your memories and put them in a Pensive while they're still fresh."

"I agree," McGonagall said, nodding.

"Right." Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "Seal the Hall and gather the Pensives in my office."

The teachers murmured agreements among themselves, before shuffling out of the, in the direction of the Headmaster's Office.


	35. Chapter 35

"I hear we'll be seeing you at the Ball," Professor Sprout whispered loudly in a conspiratorial tone.

"I assure you, it wasn't my choice," Severus said stiffly as he wiped his mouth with his napkin before reaching for a nearby teapot.

She laughed and looked at Hermione, who was tapping the crown of a soft-boiled egg.

"You'll enjoy yourself, Severus," Dumbledore smiled merrily at him. "Put a bit of change in your life for an evening. Hermione's right to press you to go.

"Don't look at me," Hermione shook her head. "It's all his mother's doing. She's even dressing us."

Severus winced at this remark, but Sprout tittered at the pair. "So your mother is the one that wears the pants in the family?"

"She's well-meaning," Hermione said quickly before Severus had a chance to retort. "A little over-indulgent, but he is an only child and they have been waiting forever for him to get married."

"Forever?" Severus frowned at her, but Sprout only giggled.

"You know what I mean," she waved him off with a toast soldier.

Everyone looked up at the sound of a yell, but it was only a Ravenclaw celebrating a package of biscuits sent by owl from his mother.

The Great Hall had been unsealed after a week of searching, but no one managed to find anything that might suggest who or what had shot darts at the teachers. After Flitwick had given the go-ahead, the Hall was reopened with a little suspicion being thrown around by all the Houses.

"You know, all this nervousness might be good for us," Flitwick pointed out in a squeaky voice as he gestured with a piece of sausage.

"How so?" Dumbledore asked inquisitively as he cut into his fried egg.

"Now all the students are watching out for each other. Now we've got hundreds of eyes looking for clues instead of just us."

"You do have a point," McGonagall said ruefully. "I hate to admit it."

"At least no students have been attacked," Professor Vector pointed out.

"Yet." Severus added.

"We are doing the best we can, Severus." McGonagall rolled her eyes at him. "There's not much more we can do besides tell the parents they need to buy their children armor and Repelling Chains."

"That might be a good idea," Hermione piped up and all eyes turned to her. "Oh, come on! There are several students with them already, after last week. It's either protect them or send them home."

Dumbledore drew in a deep breath. "I think you may have something. With one wolf amongst the flock it won't be as frightening as fighting an idea or a madman."

"You don't know that." Sprout looked surprised. "For all we know, it's a group of students doing this."

"It's still an excellent opportunity to make the school brush up on its defense spells and charms. I think it's been long enough that no one will faint at the casting of a hex," McGonagall announced.

"I don't know about that." Theodore Nott, who had been silent up to this point, spoke in a soft voice that carried across the long table. "Hermione was up rocking a First Year to sleep not too long ago and I know there are still several boys that have been having... nighttime accidents."

"Do you think they'd feel better if they could defend themselves better?" Dumbledore asked.

Hermione and Theo exchanged looks and pursed their lips.

"I think we should have levels of immersion," Theo suggested. "So there will be a separate class for the ones that are still jumpy and a little afraid of casting spells. I know Professor Flitwick has had some problems getting certain children to use their wands."

"I'll second that," McGonagall shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I know a few that make it like pulling teeth to get them to use them at all."

"We've got to break them of this before it gets out of hand," Severus said sternly. "We can't have witches and wizards walking around afraid of magic."

"I hate to say it, but Professor Snape is right," Dumbledore said regretfully. "But you've all come up with good ideas to combat this. We'll plan a schedule for Practical Defense this weekend and begin its implementation on Monday. Agreed?"

They all voiced their approval and the tension that had been hovering over the staff table seemed to disperse.

The conversation turned to light topics as owls swooped overhead dropping scrolls and packages to the students. Suddenly, a brown owl swooped over the staff table and dropped a blue envelope in front of Professor Dumbledore.

He blushed as he tried to snatch it up and tuck it into his robes, but he ended up knocking over his goblet of pumpkin juice in his rush.

Professor Sprout chuckled to herself as she waved her wand to clean up the spill. "Looks like we may be seeing you at the Ball as well."

Dumbledore looked alarmed as he looked at the envelope in his hands.

"You'll enjoy yourself," Severus said in a mocking tone. "Put a bit of change in your life for an evening."

Dumbledore scowled at him before pocketing the envelope. "You don't even know what this concerns. It's probably just business. The information exchanges are going well."

"I'm sure." Severus smirked at him.

۞

"So are you going, Ginny?" Luna Lovegood sat with Ginny and Hermione on Hermione's bed. "I'd think Harry would have gotten his invitation by now."

"I'm sure he has." Ginny snorted. "But you know all about him and dances. We've all been asked to attend." She rolled her eyes. "War heroes and all."

"Oh, I'd like to see you there," Luna said, smiling mildly at Ginny. "It's usually so boring."

"Do you go every year?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Oh, yes." Luna sighed deeply. "Father uses it as an opportunity to make business contacts. He usually does very well. We get to go because my mother's mother's mother was a Longbottom."

"So you and Neville are cousins?" Hermione asked.

"Not really," Luna said dreamily. "Although I wouldn't mind. He'd make a very nice cousin. Anyway, one of my grandmother's lived to be two hundred and thirty. She had her last baby at two hundred and two." Luna looked as if she were doing some calculations in her head. "But the Longbottoms were never into longevity cultivation…"

"We get it," Ginny interrupted. "There is are a lot of people between you"

"So, we have a Hogsmede weekend coming up," Luna said. "Will you be going with us?"

Hermione seemed to think this over for a while, and then she began to grin deviously. "Well, we don't_ have_ to go to Hogsmede."

"What are you thinking?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"Severus has a cousin that owns a bar. Our fireplace is hooked up to the Floo." She grinned widely as the other girls giggled.

"I've always wanted to see Russia, even if it will only be the inside of a bar," Luna said dreamily. "I hear they have Air-Nymphs there that feed on the tips of people's hair and fill them with a small electric charge."

"I'm pretty sure that's just static electricity," Ginny pointed out.

"You never know," Luna smiled. "I know father's got a prototype for his Mythical Goggles in his workshop. I'm sure he'd let me borrow them."

"Um…" Hermione faltered. "I'd hate to see them get broken, Luna. They do a lot of boisterous dancing there."

"Whatever you think, Hermione," Luna said.

"What else is there to see?" Ginny jumped in before Luna suggested taking anything else.

"I— I'm not sure," Hermione admitted. "We might be able to visit Anna or Stacy."

"That might be a good idea," Luna said. "I talked to Anna at the celebration feast and she was very nice. She thinks my theory on Crumple-Horned Snorcaks might be sound.

Ginny tried not to laugh at Hermione's expression.

"I—had no idea you'd gotten on so well. Maybe. I'll have to ask everyone." Hermione promised.

There was a sound of someone entering Hermione and Severus' quarters and the girls turned at the noise.

"La_, la,_ lalala," a voice boomed. Luna's eyebrows went up. "Boom, ba, _da!"_

"_We're_ in here!" Hermione called out, cutting him off and glaring at Ginny, who had both hands clamped over her mouth and tears building up in her eyes.

His head popped around the corner, into her room and his widened at the sight of the girls.

"You have a lovely voice, Professor," Luna said in a mildly surprised tone of voice. "Maybe you should integrate it into your lessons.

Severus' usual scowl reappeared on his face and his eyes snapped to Ginny, who was trying to stay composed but it was obvious she was trying not to laugh.

"We were planning the next Hogsmede trip." Hermione grinned at him. "We're thinking of using the time to visit your family in Russia."

"Oh, good." Severus looked relieved. "Now I won't have her haranguing me that she never sees you."

"I saw her not too long ago!" Hermione protested.

"Do you have any idea how much she's been nagging me to come back home?" Severus had a weary look on his face.

"What?" Hermione blustered. "Why?"

"Hermione," Luna put a hand on her arm. "Pure-blood families generally tend to live in one of the family manors."

"If they can afford it," Ginny snorted.

"Oh," Hermione said, blushing. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Ginny laughed. "If I had to live with my brothers for the rest of my life I'd hang myself in the attic."

The girls tittered and gave Severus time to regain full composure. He still wasn't used to being familiar with people and it made him feel compromised.

But, these were his wife's dearest friends. Whether he liked it or not, he was going to be stuck with her merry band of misfits for the rest of his life. He inwardly groaned at the idea.

"Why are you back so early?" Hermione asked him.

"I need the plant from my bedroom. The fifth years need another lesson in glowing potions."

Ginny groaned and Severus scowled at her. "It would do you good to review your lessons as well. Your last test score was sorely disappointing."

Ginny turned pink as Severus retreated from the doorway. "I hate it when he does that," she muttered.

"It's just one more year," Luna consoled her. "Then you have tryouts and a career."

Ginny laughed as Hermione cocked an eyebrow.

"The Hornets are holding open tryouts in July," Ginny looked embarrassed. "But there's no guarantee I'll get a shot."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Hermione reassured her. "They'd be silly not to take you."

Ginny chortled and opened a small brass pocket watch. "I'm afraid it's time for me to go. I still have to go to the common room to get my things."

"I should go, too," Luna admitted. "I need to drop off a library book on the way to Transfigurations."

Hermione said her goodbyes to her friends and walked them to the portal that would lead them out of the quarters.

As the door swung open the girls stopped and stared. There was an antique dagger stuck into the head of the stone fish that guarded the portal. The rock seemed to have melted where the dagger had been plunged in.

"What on earth is that?" Ginny breathed in.

Hermione grabbed her friends before sealing the portal up. "Nothing good. Thank God, we're hooked up to the Floo."

"I'd forgotten all about that," Luna smiled serenely. "Where should we go?"

"Safest place to be." Hermione shrugged. "Dumbledore's office."


	36. Chapter 36

"We can't stay in here forever. The Tin-Tinkles will get to us sooner or later."

Hermione gave Ginny a tired look. "Do I even want to know?"

"Oh, why not?" Ginny said with a sigh. "What are Tin Tin-Tinkles, Luna?"

"They hide within the nooks and crannies of ancient magical items," Luna said seriously. "There are probably thousands in this room. The tickle the brain and addle the senses."

"Well, they haven't gotten to Dumbledore. I shouldn't think we need to be worried." Ginny said, a tension line starting to form between her eyebrows.

"There's probably some debate about that," Hermione remarked.

"I assure you, there are no Tin-Tinkles in here," Dumbledore said in a reassuring voice as he entered the room; Severus, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout in tow. "I perform an enchantment once a month to make sure I don't get any little creatures nesting in here."

"Well, that's a relief." Luna settled into her chair. "I was going to start worrying about doxies next."

"I'd think you'd know about why there aren't any doxies, Miss Lovegood," Dumbledore said with a surprised voice. "They're quite the delicacy for House Elves. Any that find their way in here wouldn't last the day."

"I didn't know that," Luna said, impressed.

"Well, now that we do," Severus said in an irritated voice, "can we talk about the knife stuck into the statue in front of my quarters?"

"Well the good news is that's it's obviously an enchanted blade," Flitwick offered up. "So we're not worrying about a magically advanced student."

"Just a student with a store of enchanted weapons," Severus said stonily. "Well, that's obviously much better."

"A store of weapons can be discovered and destroyed," McGonagall said in an annoyed tone of voice. "Without having to take down a student by brute force."

"How would they get weapons into the school?" Hermione asked.

"I think we're beginning to realize things have been hidden away in the castle for generations," Dumbledore said grimly. "I think we might have to bar entrance to the Room of Requirement."

"We should have barred it to begin with," Severus said scornfully.

"Perhaps we can use it for another reason," McGonagall said with pursed lips. "Make it into a classroom."

"I could use more storage space," Sprout said excitedly.

"We're not going to do anything right away." Dumbledore shook his head. "We need this person to come to us."

"I say we put up silent alarms and traps," Severus suggested. "I'm sure it will uncover all sorts of interesting things."

"We don't want to lock up the whole school, Severus," Flitwick said wearily. "We're after one student."

"Or a group," McGonagall added.

"Not every sixth year that wants a little privacy to pull one off," Flitwick said grumpily.

Ginny, Hermione, and Luna burst out laughing, causing the tiny man to blush a deep red.

"Filius, really!" McGonagall scowled at him.

"I'm sure we can all come upon a reasonable agreement," Dumbledore said as he walked over to his desk. He picked up a quill and began scratching out a message on a piece of parchment. "Until then, one of these girls is in grave danger."

"My family has the resources to harbor them," Severus said with a tone of finality.

"Which is exactly why you're not to involved them at all."

Severus' eyebrows went together and he took a deep breath.

"He's right." Hermione gave him a pained look before he began shouting. "We don't need anyone bothering your family. They're pure-bloods. No one will go bother them if we're somewhere else."

"You don't know that!" Severus protested.

"That's why they're going to stay with the Amazons," Dumbledore said firmly.

"What about Halloween?" Luna asked.

"I'm not leaving you here!" Hermione crossed her arms stubbornly.

"What about the ball?" Ginny blurted out.

Dumbledore gave them all a weary look.

"I'm sure we can come up with some arrangement. Severus, I can see why Hermione would be worried. We don't know who that dagger was meant to threaten." Severus looked startled at the idea of a student threatening him. "If I didn't think you'd kill yourself trying to break back into the school I'd send you off to the Mystic Brotherhood's stronghold." Hermione giggled and Severus threw her a dirty look as Dumbledore gave her an amused one.

"Miss Weasley, I'm sure that a function with all the major dignitaries of Europe attending will have incredible security." Dumbledore reassured her.

"Just a local thing?" Severus couldn't contain himself and glared at his wife.

"I said _'relatively,'" _Hermione grumbled as Flitwick began silently shaking from suppressed tittering. "Now I can see why your mother wanted to make your agreement into an Unbreakable Vow."

"Severus, I'm sure it will be fine and the more you're seen in public together, the quicker people will stop talking about you two," McGonagall assured him.

"And we can transfigure you into a decorative centerpiece from time to time if you're really that worried about being bothered by certain people," Sprout said, rolling her eyes. "You're not getting out of this one. Your mother even contacted me."

"What?" Severus looked appalled. "Whatever for?"

"She wanted to know if there were any herbs that would make you more agreeable—"

"I cannot believe that woman!" Snape burst out. "Of all the inappropriate—"

"Severus, you can't blame your mother for acting like one," Dumbledore said with a sigh as Severus seemed to steam in his own anger. "Miss Lovegood, I'm not sure what we can do with Halloween. We'll just have to see."

Luna nodded solemnly. "I understand the Amazons have advanced knowledge of magical creatures. I'm sure we'll have enough to keep us up with our studies."

"Except for Hermione," Ginny chimed in.

"I'm always up for learning something new," Hermione shrugged. She heard Severus try to hide a burst of sound with a fake cough and her cheeks burned red. She clenched her teeth. "I'd still feel better if he were somewhere else."

_Anywhere else, if he was going to act like a pervert._

"I know this little bed and breakfast—" Flitwick was jostled as Sprout bumped into him to stop his teasing.

"I'm sure you do," Dumbledore said in an amused tone. Hermione decided it was best not to think about it. "However, we're talking about safety, and a nice bed and breakfast isn't very safe at all."

"How long will it be before we leave?" Ginny sighed in resignation.

"As fast as we can get you out," Dumbledore said regretfully. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay in here." He waved his wand and a platter of sandwiches and fruit appeared on his desk. "If you have to use the water closet, it's behind the grandfather clock. It swings out if you pull on the right side. I'll let you use your own judgment before concerning the beverages you find in the cabinet."

The girls thanked him and the Headmaster left with the Heads of House in tow.

"So now we're independent study students?" Ginny's voice wavered.

"It will be an amazing opportunity," Luna said as she smiled serenely. "Harry will have to wait to see you, but I think he'll manage."

"What?" Ginny squeaked out.

"You've been leaving the castle?" Hermione breathed in. "You could get into a lot of trouble!"

"How did you know?" Ginny demanded.

"Sir Cadogen," Luna admitted. "Sometimes he does his own bed checks at night."

"That little pervert!" Ginny squealed.

"He's actually been worried you aren't getting enough sleep," Luna assured her. "I don't think he's the type to run about gossiping."

Ginny groaned. "Well, I'm not going to be doing it anymore. I wasn't even if I stayed."

"Really?" Luna looked at her curiously. "Why not?"

"I really like sleeping." Ginny looked sheepish.

Hermione laughed and there was a small 'pop' as a house-elf appeared near Dumbledore's desk, jumping as it saw the girls.

"I'm sorry, Mistresses!" It cried out. "Fuzby didn't know anyone was in the Headmaster's Office!"

"Then where did the sandwiches come from?" Luna asked the elf, tilting her head as she looked at him.

"I didn't come from the kitchens, Miss." The elf bowed at her. "I just finished the Transfigurations classroom. Now I do the Headmaster's Office, then the boy's bathroom near the Astronomy Tower, and then I scrub down before helping with dinner." He beamed proudly.

"That's certainly a lot to do," Luna remarked.

"It is." Fuzby nodded vigorously. "Fuzby has very important jobs."

"Say, Fuzby," Ginny looked thoughtful, "when you're doing your work have you been noticing anything strange?"

"Strange?" His brows knitted together. "Like what?"

"Anyone skulking around at night that shouldn't?" Hermione encouraged.

"Some of the elves say they see a shadow at night." Fuzby shuddered. "But Fuzby hasn't ever seen it."

"A shadow?" Luna asked.

"Does the Headmaster know this?" Hermione asked.

"He does." Fuzby nodded again. "We've been told to hide if we see it."

"I think that's a very good idea," Hermione agreed. "Keep yourself safe. Can you use magic against them?"

"Fuzby doesn't have that authority." A deep blush spread over his face, to the tips of his ears. "Fuzby is only a third-generation elf."

"How does that work, Fuzby?" Hermione's interest was piqued. "What do you mean third-generation?"

"Fuzby's grandmother was the first in his line to be born at Hogwarts," the little elf explained. "Only fifth generation and up are allowed to use magic for the benefit of the school."

"That's very interesting, Fuzby," Ginny said firmly. "Thank you. Now, if you could leave us?"

"Of course!" Fuzby bowed deeply before he disappeared.

"What did you do that for?" Hermione asked her in an annoyed tone.

"Stopping you before you evoked your faculty privilege and granted him the ability to use magic." Ginny folded her arms. "I'm not going to be responsible for you granting magic on any random elf that pops into the room. I know you're nerves are frayed."

Hermione drew in a breath, but Luna cut her off.

"You should look at all this," she called out from the cabinet of drinks.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"What _isn't_ it?" Luna sounded surprised so the other girls decided to investigate.

"I think he might have every soft drink known to man," Ginny said in astonishment.

"What's _Teddy Tendergrass's Bug Oil Tonic?"_ Hermione read off one label.

"I don't know," Ginny said, bewilderedly. "What's _Admirals Salt Water Slush?"_

They had settled back in their seats and were eating the sandwiches that had been summoned for them and drinking down an all-natural orange soft drink when the door to the office opened and Dumbledore and Snape marched in, trailed by Professors McGonagall and Flitwick.

"It looks like you'll be seeing mother after all," Severus said grimly.

"It appears that the Brotherhood and the Amazons have been having some smaller, technical meetings at the Snape Estate." Professor Dumbledore sounded strained. "The enhanced security should be enough to keep out nearly anything or anyone."

"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall beckoned to her. "There are a few things we have to go over before you leave."

"As do I, Miss Lovegood." Flitwick cleared his voice and the girls paired off with their respective Heads of House.

"Why do I get the impression that the meetings aren't good news?" Hermione asked as soon as the others were out of earshot.

"The meetings are fine," Severus snorted. "Their location has a lot to be desired."

"How?" Hermione asked curiously.

"They're too close to family." Severus' lips were pressed tight.

"Well…" Hermione hesitated. "At least they'll be keeping an eye on your parents."

Severus rolled his eyes at her.

"And we'll be able to keep an eye on each other," Ginny offered.

"Heaven help us," Severus groaned.


	37. Chapter 37

"Girls! It's so good to see you!"

Hermione smiled at her mother-in-law weakly. "I wish it could be under better circumstances."

"Nonsense!" Anastasia pouted prettily, her eyes glittering with mischief. "Any time is good for us!"

Jacob harrumphed from the doorway to the dining room, a fake scowl on his face.

"Don't you start!" Anastasia warned him.

"It's good to see you again, lovely daughter." Jacob beamed at the enclave of girls. "I have a feeling the estate will never be the same. I don't think it's ever had this many girls in it."

"Three generations ago, dear," Anastasia corrected him.

"Oh, I believe you're right," Jacob nodded. "Then there were seven, counting the mother."

"The only thing I am sad about is that you are so away from our Severus. All this time wasted when you could be making children." Anastasia hugged the girls in turn.

Ginny burst out laughing at the look on Hermione's face.

"Oh, don't let her fool you," Anastasia said slyly to Hermione and Luna. "I hear she's got quite the man wrapped around her finger."

This time it was Hermione's turn to laugh as Luna smiled pleasantly at the look on Ginny's face. "It almost makes me sad I didn't take advantage of the Law," she said wistfully. "Then I might have a husband. That Justin Fitch-Fletchly was quite good looking."

"Oh, you girls have plenty of time for all that!" Anastasia told them. "And if you don't think you can wait, you can still work. Things are so much different from when I was young!"

Hermione looked at Jacob and he shook his head and chuckled. Apparently there really was no stopping Anastasia when her head got fixed on a subject. In this case, grandchildren.

"You have such a lovely home," Luna said as her eyes wandered over the ballroom, from the liquid floor, to the floral accents, to the map of the constellations set into the ceiling.

"Thank you, dear," Anastasia said warmly.

Luna's eyes stayed riveted to the ceiling. "Why are there stars out of place?"

"What?" Jacob hurried over to stare at what Luna was looking at.

"There," Luna pointed to an area, "and there."

"How are they wrong?" Jacob squinted. "They're in the right places!"

"Not precisely," Luna said as she continued squinting at them. "If this were accurate it would literally throw off the whole of Arithmantic studies."

Jacob was silent for a moment. "How so?"

"All the variables would be changed." Luna shrugged.

"How?" Jacob demanded to know.

"I'd have to figure it out, but it looks like somewhere between four to eight percent. It would change the Hennessy Theory for sure." Luna shrugged.

"But, that's the whole foundation of Arithmancy!" Jacob spluttered.

"I know." Luna tilted her head as she looked up. "Strange, isn't it? How long ago was it installed?"

"My father did it some time before I was born," Jacob said with his eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

"I can go over some calculations, if you like. It might be something interesting to do."

"You do that." Jacob gave her an appraising look.

"Well, one of you has something to do. What about the rest of you?"

"I'm sure we'll find something. Plus, Ginny and Luna still have their schoolwork." Hermione pointed out.

"Do you _always_ have to be thinking about studying?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Do you _always _have to be thinking about Quidditch?" Hermione laughed.

Jacob perked up at this. "You play Quidditch?"

"She's on the team," Hermione said merrily, her eyes twinkling as Ginny blushed in embarrassment.

"You are?" Jacob asked excitedly.

"And she's trying out for the Hornets," Luna added proudly.

Jacob's face began to light up, but Anastasia smacked him on the shoulder.

"You are far too old to be on a broomstick!" Anastasia chided him.

"I am not!" Jacob said defensively.

"You're old enough for the senior team!" Anastasia scoffed.

"At least I'm still young enough to play! You're acting like I'm decrepit!" Jacob scowled at her.

"In five years you won't be qualified to play anymore and that's close enough for me!"

Ginny's eyes flickered to Hermione, who motioned for she and Luna to follow once the bickering started.

"Are they always like that?" Ginny chuckled as the fight went on, oblivious to the girls' absence.

"On and off," Hermione shrugged as she led them to the kitchens.

"A preservation cube!" Ginny said excitedly. "Wow! My grandmother had one of these!"

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"No one really uses them anymore because refrigerators replaced iceboxes and cellars." Ginny walked over to it and looked it over. "This one is in really good shape."

"Help yourselves, girls," Jacob said as he entered the kitchen. "A bit of food always settles down a fright."

Anastasia snorted as she whisked herself past him and into the kitchen. "With you, food is always the solution."

"No one ever made a situation better by starving themselves." He gave her an annoyed look.

"I'll just put a kettle on," Hermione said, her voice a little louder than usual. "Ginny, can you open the box or did your grandmother just use it as a safeguard for your brothers?"

"How many brothers do you have, dear?" Anastasia asked absent-mindedly as she clattered for teacups in a cupboard.

"Six. All older." Ginny made a face as she slid open the box.

"She'd have probably been better off hexing the whole kitchen." Jacob chuckled in amusement.

"She threatened it more than once, that's for sure." Ginny snorted.

"We were both lucky to have sisters." Anastasia remarked to her husband.

"At least I only had two!" Jacob pointed out. "You had eleven!"

"We managed just fine!" Anastasia lowered her eyebrows at him.

"Until Ball Season came around. Then you nearly drove your father to suicide with your bickering!"

"Sibling rivalry! Nothing more."

"Would you like me to Floo in one of your sisters to verify that?" Jacob asked in a withering voice. "I do believe there's a Mr. Kensington that's never quite recovered from being fought over."

"I quite like Ball Season," Luna piped up. "All of those pretty robes swirling around."

"Oh, do they still do that?" Ginny looked nervous.

"I forgot! You girls probably don't know all the traditional dances!" Anastasia gasped.

"Don't worry," Jacob reassured Ginny and Hermione. "We will fix that."

۞

"I hate this." Severus scowled at his cup of tea.

"I assure you, if there were another solution we would be using it." Professor McGonagall folded her arms and gave Severus a stern look as Professor Sprout refilled her teacup.

"You could always go join them," Flitwick said in an urging tone of voice.

"Why do you keep attempting to convince me into leaving?" Severus peered at the tiny wizard, who was seated in the largest chair the school faculty room had to offer.

"He's got big plans for your lab and some racing brooms," McGonagall said, Flitwick's face breaking into an expression of horror. "But he's right. You should be protecting your family."

"And leave this maniac with my lab?" Severus said haughtily. "I think not."

"You haven't even seen my plans yet!" Flitwick protested with a scowl.

"If it's anything like your bounce enhancement project, not in a hundred lifetimes," Severus said in an annoyed tone. "I have no idea what possessed you to think of my desk as a good test subject. We never did find it, you know."

"I said I was sorry!" Flitwick said in an exasperated voice.

"Slytherin won't fall without you." Sprout examined him over the rims of her reading glasses.

"Who would look after them?" He sniffed.

"I say Professor Sinistra's had her eye on the position for quite some time," Flitwick suggested.

"Has she?" Severus' eyebrows went up.

"It's a good opportunity for you to test her, for further responsibilities," McGonagall said to Dumbledore, who had been quiet up to this point, thoughtfully stirring his cocoa with the end of his wand.

"I agree with both of you." Dumbledore sighed. "If you don't feel comfortable leaving the students I urge you to stay. I know there will be increased security in Russia, so Hermione is safe there. However, I know if I were in your position I would want to be with family.

"Slytherin is my family," Severus said with a tone of finality.

"That all changed when you said 'I do,' my friend." Flitwick smirked at the potions master.

۞

Severus landed in the Snape Estate's ballroom fireplace and was surprised to see Hermione jump to her feet.

"Oh!" She looked relieved. "Thank God you're not your mother."

"For your sake, I'll have to agree." He snorted at her.

There was a loud whoop from outside and Severus frowned. "What's all that noise?"

"The reason we're all going to get shot." Hermione moaned.

Severus scowled as he went to the nearest window and peered out.

A jolly game of Quidditch was going on: Ginny and Luna against a pretty, young girl with long blond hair and an extremely good-looking boy in his late teens.

Severus let out a groan before he headed for the nearest door.

"Mother is going to kill you!" He yelled at the merry foursome.

"Oh, come on, now." The young man swept down to greet them, his brow soaked with sweat and his breathing coming in huffs. He had dark, shaggy black hair and freckles covering his face. His eyes were twinkling and his face had a mischievous look to it.

"How many potions did you take?" Severus squeaked as he looked at his father in horror. "They're supposed to build up in your system."

"I did build them up." Jacob looked nervous. "Sort of."

Severus cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I spread it out throughout the morning," Jacob mumbled.

"You'd have had to! Mother would miss them if you'd done it for more than a few hours!" Severus huffed.

"Well, now you're here to help replace them." Jacob slapped his son on the shoulder. "Your mother will never be the wiser."

"Oh, I won't, will I?"

A cold voice came from behind Severus and his whole body whipped around in fear. He was thankful his mother wasn't looking at him. He looked up at the three girls still in the air. "Run!"

The girls sped off, around the corner of the building; leaving the ball they had been throwing back and forth to hit the grass with a dull 'thud.'

She scowled at Severus.

"Don't look at me, I just got here." He held his hands up.

"Of course you did, dear." Anastasia patted his face. "I heard you chiding your father. What a good boy I have!"

Hermione began to snicker.

"And you poor dear." She turned to Hermione. "I'm sure you had nothing to do with this."

"What?" Jacob blustered. "And how did you come by the information you're spouting?" Jacob glared at Anastasia.

"Because I know _you, _that's why!" Anastasia snapped at him. "And having Svetlana up there with you! Yuri would have a heart attack if he saw her up there!"

"Svetlana's here?" Severus asked stiffly."

"And she's an unbelievable beater, I tell you!" Jacob insisted.

Anastasia threw her hands up in frustration and stormed away.

"I really wasn't expecting—" Severus began, but his father cut him off.

"It's about time you got over yourself, Severus." Jacob shook his head. "No one blames you except for her batty grandmother and no one's taken her seriously for years. Svetlana's mother died years after the first war ended. No one saw it coming."

"Does everyone know I was a double-agent?" Severus asked, looking embarrassed.

"Did you really think it wouldn't be in the papers now that all this is over?" Jacob snorted. "Your mother should thank you for her expanding social calendar."

Hermione groaned.

"She's been pestering you to come with her, hasn't she?" Severus looked down at Hermione in amusement.

"I keep coming up with excuses, but I think my time's run out," she moaned.

"It only took you a few days to run out?" Severus made a 'tsk' sound at her. "I'm disappointed with you."

She scowled at him. "Of course I haven't. I just can't use anymore without appearing rude."

Jacob laughed at her. "You British are always so funny!"

"Your mother was British," Severus pointed out.

"And she was a funny woman, there's no doubt of that!" Jacob nodded firmly, earning an exasperated look from Severus. "Insisted you go to that British school instead of being schooled at home like a normal boy."

Severus snorted. "Normal boys go to school with other people." He mulled this over for a moment. "Not like it would have made any difference."

"You aren't in prison, Severus." His father shook his head. "It would have been worse had you been at home."

"So this Ball Season nonsense will be even worse than normal?" Severus pinched the skin between his eyebrows. "Wonderful."

"I'm sure your new bride will be more than equipped for the job of fending off other women." Jacob chuckled.

"What?" Hermione squeaked.

"Don't worry about high society nonsense." Jacob assured her. "Things have gotten quite vulgar in the last few years."

"I assure you my wife is not accustomed to vulgar activities," Severus said coolly.

"Can you deflect a hex?" Jacob looked at Hermione.

"Yes!" Hermione looked appalled at the idea he thought her so useless in a fight.

"Cast a decent one?" He was grinning at her.

"Of course I can!" Hermione sniffed.

"Anything else?" He prompted.

"I'm competent in transfigurations, charms, and defense spells. I was trained by Harry Potter in Defense Against the Dark Arts for a year, and I was a representative of Gryffindor in the school's dueling club my seventh year." Hermione scowled.

"More than capable." He shook his head at Severus.

"It's come to that?" Severus looked appalled.

"There was even a poisoning last year, but arrangements have been made to make that impossible this year." Jacob shook his head.

"I should hope so!" Severus drew himself up.

"It was over a decades-old rivalry." Jacob waved his son off. "Not over something petty or recent."

"Well, that's good to know," Hermione said with a sigh of relief. "So we're safe."

Severus looked down at her pityingly and snorted. "For now."


	38. Chapter 38

Hermione blinked blearily at the guard standing in the room. She embarrassedly wondered if she'd done anything undignified in her sleep before she stretched her arms and shifted under the heavy bedclothes.

"Are you finally awake, Hermione?" Luna was already sitting up in her bed as Ginny groaned and stirred in hers.

"I am, but I'm not sure she is." Hermione nodded to Ginny in amusement.

"She's been awake on and off for hours." Luna snorted as Ginny made several rude noises about having to get up.

"Oh, come on!" Hermione laughed. "You two are going to meet the Amazons and be a part of all this!"

"Are the boys going to the Brotherhood, then?" Luna asked curiously. "I would imagine all the societies in the world would be clamoring for him."

"I'd never thought of that," Hermione shrugged. "I suppose we'd have to ask, but I thought you had to be related by bloodline."

"No one's said anything to me about it." Ginny yawned and poked her head out from her covers, her head a tousle of red hair. "But Harry's got an awful lot of mail to go through. Told him he needed a secretary."

A pained look ran over Hermione's face.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Harry's seventeen," Hermione said, wincing. "He shouldn't have to have a secretary. Or a funny face. And you should have all your fingers. I shouldn't be married."

"You regret getting married?" Ginny breathed in shock.

"No." Hermione shook her head. "But doesn't it seem like we should be doing all of this in ten years or so?"

"The rules change when there's a war," Ginny said flatly. The guard grunted in agreement.

"I suppose you're right," Hermione admitted with a smile, throwing a look at the guard. They weren't supposed to recognize them in any way, ignoring them as if they weren't even there, but Hermione had a hard time ignoring a man in her bedroom.

"I expected Professor Snape to be here," Luna said as she peered around the room.

"Did you think he'd agree to anything besides running back and forth in the end?" Hermione chuckled as she slipped out of bed and into her slippers.

Ginny snorted. "At least he won't be teaching _us _anymore."

"You'd be surprised to know how much we collaborate." Hermione winced at Ginny's scowl.

"Ah," Luna said dreamily as she climbed out of bed and waved her wand at herself, going instantly from bedclothes to day robes. "Well, I don't mind Professor Snape. I mean, potions are just like cooking, aren't they?"

Hermione felt a pang of guilt for realizing her knowledge had a gap in it. "Erm… I guess so."

"You don't know how to cook?" Ginny asked, her eyes widening. "Seriously?"

"Well, it's not like we have kitchen duty at Hogwarts," Hermione said grumpily. "And my mum was never very good in the kitchen."

"Well, it's just like cooking," Luna assured her.

"Cooking is easy," Ginny said skeptically.

"Not all the time," Luna pointed out. "My father and I like going to _'Shazam's'_ when we're in Hogsmede."

"Oh!" Ginny squeaked. "They're that posh place, aren't they? All sorts of exotic things."

"To tell you the truth, we just go for their pickled tuna salad," Luna admitted, her eyes getting a faraway look. "It's magnificent and not expensive at all."

"I'll keep it in mind," Hermione said as she waved her wand and was dressed for the day.

"My point is that there are different levels of skill for everyone. You just need to practice more." Luna pointed out.

Hermione and Ginny both pulled faces at her and they all laughed as Ginny began rooting around in a small sack near her bed.

"When are we meeting with them?" Ginny asked as she came up with a toothbrush in her hand.

"They said three quarters of morning," Hermione said uneasily. "I think that means 9 o'clock."

"Well, getting ready early just means we'll have more time to explore," Ginny said mischievously.

The girls laughed and quickly prepared themselves for the day, Luna finally settling on a floppy straw hat.

They skittered through the manor on their way to the kitchens, looking at the guards and paintings as they went.

"And what trouble are you three up to?" An accusing voice called out of a room they had just passed.

"Exploring," Hermione called out sheepishly.

"After breakfast," Ginny offered, as if this made everything all better.

"Well, that sounds like quite an adventure!" There was a rustling as someone set down a newspaper and Jacob popped his head out of the study. "Now that I can move like I used to I wouldn't mind doing a bit of poking around!"

Hermione recoiled at the sight of him. Ginny tilted her head. Luna fixed him with a curious look.

"I know," he said sheepishly. His hand went to the large bumps on his forehead and down to the ones forming on his chin and cheekbones.

"So that's what happens when you take them improperly," Ginny remarked as she pursed her lips at him. "Huh."

"Severus says I'll have a few more days before I go back to the way I was," Jacob admitted.

"Does it hurt?" Luna asked.

"No. Just ugly."

"Come on then," Ginny said with a half-yawn.

Jacob looked delighted as he joined their group, Hermione still eying his bumpy face.

"And where do you think you are going?"

A strong female voice rang out and Jacob and Hermione both winced as Anastasia stormed out of an alcove where she had been reading a book.

"The girls were curious about the cellars. I was going to accompany them—"

"You'll do nothing of the sort." Anastasia sniffed at him. "Apparently young ladies bring out the teenager in you and you'll never survive all the trips to the infirmary at your age!"

She scowled darkly and Jacob smiled at her. "You used to love all my stunts!"

"That was before you nearly killed yourself trying to hunt down a kraken!" Anastasia put her fists on her hips and glared at him.

Jacob sighed in resignation. "Hermione, you know where Severus keeps his laboratory. Go down the corridor that goes off to the left before you get to it. Go to the end and start moving boxes. There's a passageway behind it."

"There is?" Anastasia asked blankly.

"So I have discovered something you don't know?" Jacob asked sarcastically. "Maybe we should alert the media."

Anastasia whipped out her wand and hit him with a body-bind curse. The girls gasped as he fell to the floor, his brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Perhaps I should join you," Anastasia suggested happily as Jacob made mean sounds at her. "It sounds like fun!"

Suddenly Jacob's nose turned blue and his noises became more irritated.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, wondering if something had gone wrong.

"It's a timed curse. Fifteen minutes. It changes color every five so the victim knows how long they're in for. It will go to indigo and violet before he's freed." Anastasia smirked at her husband and he growled at her. "Not in front of the girls! There's enough time for your sweet words later."

He let out a muffled 'harrumph' and his eyes relaxed. She bent over to kiss him and Ginny let out a giggle.

Hermione had to bite her lower lip, but Luna looked curious. "Is this what you'd call a time-out?"

"A timed time-out," Ginny snickered.

"Then let's go!" Anastasia said happily. "I think we'll summon food when we get down there. I wouldn't want to lose precious time eating or packing breakfast."

Hermione let out a quiet snort as they headed off towards the subterranean levels of the house.

"Your mother is insane!"

Severus snorted at his father, who was sitting on the low leather couch in the Snape quarters at Hogwarts; a bump on his head and a scowl on his face.

"I could have told you that."

"Then they ran off without me!"

"Where to, exactly?"

Severus Snape tore through his family home in Russia, not trusting himself enough to Apparate into the cellars. He knew the girls would be walking and crawling and he hoped they hadn't gotten very far.

When he saw his mother wander through a room down the hallway from him he got a sinking feeling.

"Mother!" Severus said, trying to cover his wheezing. "How… unexpected. I thought you all went exploring."

"We did!" she said proudly. "And we even found something!"

"Small black casket. Charmed with a permanent sticking curse."

"Is that what that was?" Anastasia chortled. "You were always such a clever boy!"

"Where are they?" Severus practically squeaked in fear. "Where's the box?"

"Is it dangerous?" Anastasia looked alarmed.

"Only to me if Hermione gets it open." He winced.

"They took it upstairs to the girls' room. Darling, if I had known—"

"Trust me, mother. The contents of that box are nothing I want to talk about now, let alone when I was sixteen."

"Was it a trunk of love tidings?" His mother teased him, batting her eyelashes.

His red face confirmed it and her face contorted into one of horror.

"Run!" The spun him around and pushed him. "They might not have gotten it open!"

Severus practically flew upstairs and to the room the girls shared. He could hear quiet weeping and soothing sounds punctuated by Luna saying things like: 'you're being silly' and 'it was long ago.'

Well, at least Lovegood had his side.

The guard, who had decided to stand outside during a teenaged emotional breakdown, gave Severus a very judgmental look.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. Then he frowned.

The contents of the box were spread out over the bed. He had never thought about breaking the box open, leaving the seal intact. He looked down and winced at what he saw.

He felt his face burn.

_Gods, of all the ones to be looking me smack in the face._

He stared down at Lily Evans' face: her bright eyes, her pretty smile, and the freckles on her cheeks.

All four of them.

Severus had forgotten about how lovely her bum had looked to him when he'd snapped that picture. Another lay nearby, showing a laughing Severus and Lily sharing a pillow. Their shoulders were both bare.

"Um…" Ginny faltered. "Hey Luna, why don't we go check out that blue room we saw earlier. The one with all the glass figurines."

Luna gave Hermione's shoulders a quick squeeze before leaving the room with Ginny.

"I—I don't know what to say," Severus said, his eyes pleading.

"You don't have to say anything," Hermione said, wiping her tears away angrily. "It was before my parents had even met. It shouldn't bother me."

"Honestly, I'd forgotten about it," Severus admitted. "Until father told me where you all went off to."

"He went to get you for backup?" Hermione scowled. "Of all the sneaky—"

"He just wanted a potion for the bump on his head," Severus said, chuckling. "She really got him good this time."

"I still can't believe she did it."

"I can't believe you didn't know she had it in her," Severus countered.

Hermione giggled and Severus felt his face soften. He was glad his wife was less prone to throwing hexes than his mother.

Hermione looked down at the contents of the box: the pictures, the dried flowers, a purple ribbon, and several opened letters. Then she took a deep breath.

"Harry should have these." Hermione said before thinking. She saw Severus' face and inwardly kicked herself. "I mean, he'd like to know about this side of his mother. The girl his own age, not just his mother."

"Not all of it, I'm sure." Severus cocked an eyebrow as he picked up a picture of Lily, taken from behind. She was nude and waggling her bum cheekily at the cameraman.

Hermione burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh please! Just to see his face! We'll modify his memory so he won't be scarred for life!"

Severus gave his wife a scandalized look. "Hermione Granger-Snape, you're a very wicked girl!" He crawled over the contents of the box to get to her. He kissed her and was surprised when she kissed him fiercely, her hands going to his chest and tugging at his clothing.

"Have something to prove, do we?" Severus growled at her as she ripped his vest open, the small buttons pinging off things in the room.

When they were done, nude and panting for breath, Severus raised his wand and repaired the items on the bed that had been damaged and whisked them back into the box. Hermione raised an eye at him.

"I just want to keep it all in one place. You can always smash it open again later," he said with amusement.

"What was in that yellow envelope?" Hermione asked curiously. "We couldn't get it open."

"I wouldn't want you to," Severus said, rolling over and sitting on the edge of the bed to put his clothing back on.

"What is it?"

"Pictures of her corpse," Severus said bitterly. "One of the Death Eaters snapped it before they left Godric's Hollow. Thought I might want it as a trophy."

Hermione gasped in horror. "What a horrible thing to do!"

"Well, it's not like I was spending my time with the London supper club crowd," Severus said sarcastically.

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise. "The Malfoy's aren't?"

"Perhaps some of them," Severus admitted with a smirk. He looked at her for a moment before sighing deeply.

Hermione cocked her head at him. "What is it?"

"How do you manage to do it? Is it some sort of witchery?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You can make me laugh. Even over terrible things."

Hermione snorted. "It's not me. I'm sarcastic and you're self-projecting."

"So my love is just some sort of narcissism?" Severus asked as he wrinkled his nose at her.

"Absolutely," Hermione said as she began dressing. "It also explains our age difference."

"How?" He asked curiously, his eyes beginning to dart around as if searching something.

"I make you feel youthful and alive and not the elderly old prune that you are." She whirled around and reached for her pillow, but he had it out of her reach and was swinging the other at her.

She squealed as he buffeted her firmly and tried to wrestle one out of his hand, but he refused to let go, giving her a few more swats with the other. He ripped the pillow Hermione was hanging on to away from her and threw them as far as he could.

"There," he snarled. "Now you can tell people I beat you properly!"

Hermione snorted and pulled her wand out. The pillows flew back to Severus, but instead of two, there was now eight, and instead of defending himself, he put his arms over his head and made a surprised squawking noise.

The door opened and Luna and Ginny poked their heads in, their faces breaking into wide smiles of delight as they watched their former professor being beaten.

Hermione immediately ended the spell, knowing Severus would be mad if he felt she humiliated him in front of her friends.

To his surprise he let out a snort. "That was a clever spell. You need to teach me later. It could prove useful as a method of defense."

"The Amazons are here," Ginny smiled contently.

"Are they going to the Ball as well?" Luna asked curiously.

"I—I have no idea," Hermione admitted, never having thought about this before.

"Is the red-haired one really Dumbledore's daughter?" Ginny asked in awe. "I've seen her, but I haven't talked to her."

"Be gone, you hens," Severus said with a scowl. "You represent from Hogwarts! Start acting like it!"

Ginny and Luna zipped out as Hermione furrowed her eyes at Severus.

Hermione waved her wand and she and Severus were both presentable. He opened the door and motioned for her to go through. She did so, giving his hip a squeeze as she went by. He smirked to himself as he followed her downstairs.

"Wait!" Severus barked. Hermione turned to look at him and he hit her with a spell that felt like a small shock. As she swore he did the same thing to himself.

"What was that?" Hermione scowled at him.

"I wouldn't want the Jotun to snap if she catches a scent of mating," Severus said stiffly.

Hermione nodded in agreement, but she felt her cheeks burning.


	39. Chapter 39

"He has a picture of my mother doing _what?"_

"They looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, Harry. Get over it," Hermione said sharply.

"Looks like Harry isn't the only one that has a problem," Ron chortled from a chair where he was sorting letters into piles.

Hermione threw him a dirty look and his head disappeared behind one of the stacks.

"They're not dirty," Hermione huffed. "If they were I'd have destroyed them."

"You'd really have done it?" Ron poked his head back out. He snorted. "I'd have been right angry if you'd done that to me!"

"It doesn't matter!" Hermione said in an annoyed tone. "If anyone found out he had dirty pictures of sixteen year old girls his life at Hogwarts would be over, regardless of who it is and when they were taken."

"Well, he does have a seventeen year old wife," Ron pointed out.

"Eighteen," Harry corrected him.

"That's not the point!" Hermione threw her hands up. "Do you want them or not?"

"Did he say it was OK?" Harry asked her suspiciously. He leaned back onto his desk and dropped his head as a giant pile of letters behind him _slumph_ed to the floor.

Hermione fidgeted. "He agreed."

Ron burst out laughing and hid behind his stack of letters once again.

Harry shook his head at Ron before looking back to Hermione. "He's not in any of them, is he?"

"There's one where he's laughing with her," Hermione admitted.

"Well, that's not bad." Harry mulled things over for a moment. "You know, I would like to see them."

Ron made a rude noise. "I wouldn't want to see any cheeky pictures of _my _mum."

"Well, you grew up with her, didn't you?" Hermione scowled. "Harry never had a chance to know his mum. Every little bit counts."

He shrugged, but kept his head in the stacks.

"Can you visit?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"I think I can squeeze it in." Harry grinned, his serpentine face looking ghoulish. "You're connected to a direct Floo from Hogwarts, aren't you?"

۞

Asta quirked a corner of her mouth at Ginny. "You are most distracted."

Ginny shook her head and her cheeks pinked as she chopped her herbs finer. "Harry's supposed to come today."

"Ah," Asta said knowingly. Nyssa rolled her eyes behind her charge. "When I'm expecting a letter from Mikhail I tend to get clumsy as well."

"And this is why there are no males in the tower." Nyssa said firmly. "We would never get anything done and there would be children underfoot everywhere."

Hermione mulled this over as she dropped some beetles into her cauldron. She had been considering this as well. If they had a child, perhaps one of the house-elves would take extra pay to watch the child when she worked.

She began to nod to herself. House-elves doubled as nannies all the time. Perhaps in ten or fifteen years she'd be comfortable enough with the idea to have a baby.

"Isn't the Floo in your quarters?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"Severus said he'd let him in." Hermione reassured her friend.

"I don't think the problem will be letting him in," Luna said as a delicate pink smoke rose from her cauldron. "I think the problem will be with Professor Snape showing up to let him in."

"Especially since you're giving away his nudie pictures," Ginny chimed in with a giggle.

"Enough!" Nyssa scowled. "More potions, less men! Look how far Luna has gotten compared to you!"

Hermione had to admit the older witch was right.

Hermione heard the door to the basements creak open and Anastasia and Harry's voices resonating through the cavernous areas.

"He's here!" Ginny squeaked, almost knocking over a vial of dragonfly wings.

"Fine!" Nyssa said grumpily. "Go! You're a liability! Blow us all up for some young pup—"

Nyssa's face froze as Harry popped his head through the door. Ginny ran to him and hugged him.

"I was just going to tell you Mrs. Snape has lunch laid out for us," Harry said cheerfully. "But if you're not done…"

"We're almost done, Harry," Luna said, looking at him thoughtfully.

"We can teach you," Asta offered, but Harry shook his head firmly. "I've had quite enough of potions for a lifetime, thank you."

"Tell Anastasia we're very grateful and we will be up in a few moments." Nyssa said, as warm as she could muster.

"Will do!" Harry grinned at them again before whisking Ginny out of the potions' lab, their feet stomping through the basements and their giggles leading them to above ground.

Nyssa fixed Luna with a look. "You didn't tell us."

The blond girl shrugged as she bottled her potion. "He's been in the papers. Alexandra and Sophia both saw him."

"What do they know!" Nyssa scoffed. "A librarian and an archer." She snorted loudly.

"Is there something I should know?" Hermione asked nervously.

Nyssa regarded her coolly. "No. Not now. Perhaps later."

Hermione looked at Luna, but she was looking into her satchel for bottle-stoppers.

"We'd have to do some tests," Asta shrugged. "There's nothing you could do, so why bother you?"

"What kinds of tests?" Hermione asked nervously.

Nyssa sighed. "We will talk of it to Dumbledore. Perhaps he has already done them. They said he was fine when they sent him home?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded as her potion let up small puffs of black smoke.

"He would know best." Nyssa said soothingly. "I'm sure your friend is fine."

"But if he wasn't, what would be wrong with him?" Hermione asked nervously.

"He'd be cursed."

Severus came through the fireplace of the Russian Estate in a foul mood. He stomped by the door to the dining room to make himself known, then Apparated upstairs.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked Hermione. "Is he mad at me?"

"Why would he be mad at—" Hermione shook her head. "You know what? I don't even want to know. Was it something stupid and petty?"

Harry grumbled something under his breath and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?" Hermione said in an annoyed tone as she tossed her napkin onto the table. She rose to her feet, but stopped when Anastasia came into the room with a pot of tea.

"I just saw him whisk out of the window with his father's flying carpet," Anastasia said to Hermione. "Let him go."

"Where's he going?" Hermione asked as she watched Asta rub a peach with her cheek.

"Something has upset him and he went to the pond to fish. When he returns he'll tell you what is wrong." Anastasia began to pour herself a cup of tea.

Hermione slowly sat down again and Harry offered her a strawberry. "You can't worry about him all the time. You'll drive yourself mad."

۞

The three girls were all sleeping when the shadowy figure made its way toward them. It slipped by the guards without so much as a glance and entered the room without trouble.

A wand in the dark. Silencing spells falling over the beds. The curtains were pulled tight. No one would know a thing.

Ginny yawned and opened her bed curtains. She could hear a radio and Luna doing her morning routine.

"Good morning," Luna said as she swept by with wet hair.

"Got a proper soak?" Ginny remarked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Well, neither of you were up yet and I figured if I had time to kill…"

"Say no more." Ginny blinked blearily. "Thanks for the silencing spell."

"It wasn't me," Luna said with a curious look at Hermione's bed, the curtains still pulled tight.

"She was probably up late reading." Ginny wrinkled her nose. "She might already be up."

"I'll just take a peep," Luna said, creeping towards Hermione's bed as if she might wake it up. She gently took a corner between her fingers and slowly pulled a sliver open.

A deafening noise assaulted her and Luna was so startled she fell backwards.

Ginny burst out laughing.

"It's a flock of Russian pixies!" Luna squealed, scrabbling for her wand.

"I don't think so." Ginny said firmly as she pulled out her own wand and waved it at Hermione's bed.

The curtains were flung open and Severus Snape groaned and rolled over as Hermione buried her head further under the covers.

Ginny snorted and closed the curtains.

"How does she sleep with that noise?" Luna asked in wonderment.

"There's a charm. Mum has to use it from time to time; I have no idea what it is." Ginny admitted.

"Brilliant."

Suddenly a small white creature began scratching at the window. Ginny looked at it, her jaw dropped, as Luna went to the window to let it in.

"How do you know it's safe?" Ginny squeaked.

"Are you safe?" Luna asked the furry dragon as it came in and settled on the carpet.

"I would hope so!" It croaked out in a snooty tone. "Where's the Holder of the Shard?"

"Sleeping. Would you like me to wake her?" Luna asked politely.

"Is her mate nearby?" It peered around the room.

"He's with her," Ginny said, arching an eyebrow.

It made a snorting noise. "Mates lead to laziness."

"You've been in that tower too long," Ginny rolled her eyes and went to find her toothbrush.

"What's will all the animosity towards having a mate?" Luna asked.

"Asta's courtship is proving to be most troublesome. Owls back and forth at all hours. Then there's the matter of the mechanical mice." It said grumpily.

"I'm nearly afraid to ask," Hermione said as she slipped through the curtains to her bed.

"He thought he would endear himself to her sisters and sent along a fleet of mechanical mice to sway their favor." Ginny started giggling as the little snow dragon made a face. "Now they're overrunning the libraries, popping out to do 'entertaining' things."

"They're not as entertaining as he had planned?" Hermione said in mock surprise. "How unexpected!"

"They're always underfoot and constantly jumping out of the shelves to whistle a little tune or do a little dance." He seemed to think for a moment. "They are delicious, though."

Hermione shook her head and decided not to ask anymore. "Did you just come to have breakfast, K'pluur?"

"Already had mine." He let out a burp that sounded oddly mechanical. "This is from Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore?" Hermione asked. He motioned to the brown satchel he carried close to his chest and she pulled a scroll out. She tried to unroll it but it refused. She frowned.

"Your husband must be present and you must have privacy," K'pluur explained.

The scroll seemed to become heavier in Hermione's hands. She had the feeling that something was horribly wrong.

۞

"Do you have him somewhere safe?" Hermione demanded.

"He's been confined to an unused portion of the dungeons. Azkaban seemed unwise and there are too many dark items stashed around Grimmauld place." Dumbledore walked beside her as they travelled down a corridor. "This was the only place left besides Nurmengard."

She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "I thought you said he was fine!"

"We don't have any way to measure this, I'm afraid." Dumbledore admitted. "This particular curse hasn't been used for over a thousand years, to our knowledge."

Severus strode beside her, her feet trying to catch up to his and Dumbledore's long strides. They made a sudden turn and walked through a long, thin corridor with a door only at the end. Hermione felt herself shaking and she shivered as Dumbledore pulled a key ring out of his robes and began unlocking the assortment of devices on the door. He finally pointed his wand at the door and there was a loud '_SNAP'_ and a red spark in the center of the door. He opened the heavy door and Hermione was surprised to see the other side of the door had been lined with metal.

"Was this a fairy prison?" Hermione asked, her face aghast.

"If it can hold a fairy, it can hold nearly anything." Harry was sitting on the edge of a bed in a roomy cell. The bed was plain, but there was enough room for a fluffy chair and a stack of books.

"You don't even get a table?" Hermione frowned.

"I don't think you're very familiar with the way wizarding prisons operate," Severus said in a bristling tone.

"This really is luxurious, Hermione," Harry said softly. "I'm grateful for it… and hey, at least it isn't another cupboard under the stairs." He gave her a weak smile.

She took a deep breath. "What _happened,_ Harry?"

"I… I don't even know how to explain it," Harry said, looking both embarrassed and angry.

"We're not sure it was a properly cast curse, Harry," Dumbledore said sadly. "We will be doing our best."

"What do the Amazons say?" Hermione asked.

Dumbledore glanced at Severus. "They have a theory, but it hasn't been proven yet."

Harry shook his head and lay down. "Even if it is, I wouldn't ask it."

"If you were found guilty you'd be confined to the sanitarium at St. Mungo's," Dumbledore said in a reminding tone.

"It's not Azkaban." Harry said firmly.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione scowled.

"When Tom's magic exploded I got hit with shrapnel," Harry said with a snort.

"That's an excellent way of explaining it, Harry," Dumbledore said encouragingly. "The more you can tell us the better."

Harry snorted.

"You _killed_ people, Harry," Hermione said unbelievingly. "How did this even happen?"

"Ask Ginny," Harry said as he rolled over, his back to them.

Dumbledore motioned for them to leave the room and Hermione followed numbly. The door closed with a solid _'thump'_ and there was a clockwork sound as all the locks slid back into place.

"Is Ginny OK?" Hermione asked, afraid to ask.

"She's gone home," Dumbledore said sadly. "Molly felt it was best if she was with family."

"Is she being charged with anything?" Hermione looked worried.

"No," Dumbledore said shaking his head. "Since he's cooperating with us they legally can't charge Ginny."

Severus stiffened. "Did you know anything about this?" he barked at Hermione.

"Know what?" Hermione asked defensively.

"That Miss Weasley has been Mrs. Potter for some time now."

۞

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from asking the question everyone wanted to know: _what happened to Harry? _In fact, it had been this morning'sheadline on the Daily Prophet.

Rumors were circulating and some of them were true. Small groups of wizards were beginning to argue if it weren't for the Muggles none of this would have happened. Three people were arrested in Death Eater robes and masks. There was talk of a serpent-influenced cult, although Harry seemed genuinely baffled when asked about it. They had used Veritaserum during the questioning as per Harry's request, but there were mutterings over whether or not he had the ability to overpower the potion.

Thankfully, there had been no mention of an elopement or Ginny in general in the news. Molly seemed to think they had just gotten lucky, but Hermione knew the new editor of the Prophet wanted to get on the good side of the new Minister and the last way to do that was to demonize his youngest child.

"The Amazons still have to question him," Ginny said glumly. "Nyssa came around to tell me she would be doing the interrogation and testing. I think she wanted to do the same to me and was irritated she couldn't."

"Well, let her be," Hermione said firmly.

"But I'm supposed to be a representative of—"

"Oh, Severus can stuff it!" Hermione said angrily. "The pact with the Amazons had to do with the destruction of Voldemort and to oversee a treaty signing. The agreement was completed the day the Ministry blew up. The Shard is the only thing being researched cooperatively right now and that has nothing to do with Hogwarts."

"Then why were they still teaching us if they weren't involved with the school?" Ginny asked.

"I—I don't know," Hermione said, surprised she had never wondered this herself. "Maybe to keep up good relations?" She knew as soon as she said this how silly it sounded.

"Maybe to keep their eyes on that pretty piece of jewelry you've got," Molly huffed as she brought a tray of tea and biscuits into the parlor.

"Or so Dumbledore will keep having excuses to contact the Amazons," Ginny giggled.

Hermione snickered as she reached for her teacup. "Wouldn't surprise me."

"Ginny," Mrs. Weasley began, dipping her biscuit into her tea. Hermione saw her friend wince. "Since you are married now you have responsibilities to take care of."

"What?" Ginny screwed up her face.

"If Harry does go away, even for a short while, it wouldn't help to have all his paperwork in order. "Do you know anything about his accounts? Where the title to Grimmauld Place is?" Molly said gently.

"She's right," Hermione said before Ginny could say anything. "I know it's not about money, but if he does go away you'll still need to keep up the house and pay bills. You _have_ to get this all sorted out while you still have access to him."

Ginny looked defeated, but still threw a face at her mother.

"That's my girl," Molly said, patting her daughter on the knee. "There's a long road to travel, but it's not over yet."


	40. Chapter 40

Marriage Law Chapter 40

"It could be a lot worse." Hermione had reached through the bars to touch Harry's hand.

"I know." Harry took a deep breath and drew his hands from her. He put a hand to his forehead and blinked hard. "Molly could want to kill me."

Hermione laughed and sat up straight in the chair she had transfigured for herself. "Now, you know that will never happen."

Harry chuckled. "I can't believe Ginny asked me for the household papers instead of serving me with divorce papers."

"Please." Hermione snorted loudly. "You two are made for each other."

"That's what they said about you and Ron."

Hermione paused for a moment. "I know. But the timing was never right and he kept acting like a clod."

"Like things were perfect when you and Severus got together." Harry quirked a corner of his mouth at her.

"I was drunk and opera was involved," Hermione said hotly.

Harry laughed deeply.

Hermione looked pained. "I'm sorry you're going to miss all the Ball Season nonsense."

"It's the one thing I'm grateful for," Harry smiled.

There was a loud noise from the door behind Hermione and it swung open to reveal Kingsley Shacklebolt and two guards. The guards began to advance, but Kingsley stopped them.

"This room will kill anyone that tries to do harmful damage and he doesn't have his wand. You can wait in the hall while conduct the interview."

The guards bowed sharply as Kingsley shut the door.

"How're you holding up, Harry?" Kingsley asked as he pulled a generously sized tin of cookies out of his robes. "From the Burrow."

"You would get into so much trouble if anyone knew what you were doing!" Hermione squeaked. "People could call you a sympathizer!"

"They'll have to get more on me than Molly's cookies." Kingsley pooh-poohed her.

"Need to take more samples?" Harry asked. Kingsley gave him a regretful look and Harry sighed as he began to disrobe.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, taken aback.

"Hair, skin, blood samples. Some pictures to top it all off," Kingsley listed as he began to unload equipment from under his robes.

"How much stuff do you have in there?" Hermione asked in an astonished voice.

"I think I lost a portable grill, but I may have left it at my brothers," Kingsley admitted.

Harry stripped down to his pants and Kingsley began poking and prodding him through the bars.

"But _why_ are you taking the samples?" Hermione flinched as Kingsley plucked a few hairs from Harry's chest.

"Have the Department of Mysteries working overtime on this one, not that they're minding," Kingsley said grimly. "If we can prove he wasn't in his right senses and we can reverse his state, he might be able to get off with supervised parole."

"That's a lot of 'ifs.'" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Well it's better than nothing." Harry shrugged.

"Ginny told me—" Hermione hesitated. "Ginny told me those men were horrible and deserved it after—after what they did to Tom and the other small boys."

"What's this?" Kingsley looked surprised.

"You didn't tell anyone?" Hermione yelled.

"I figured I'd get to say my piece at the trial." He turned around so Kingsley could draw green glowing runes on his back with the tip of his wand.

"Good grief, Harry!" Kingsley burst out, his face mightily annoyed. "This could change everything!"

Harry looked sheepish. "I really didn't think it mattered."

Hermione would have slapped him if she could reach him. "We need to get you council. Before the trial."

"I'm going to have to agree." Kingsley said as he straightened himself up. "We need to know everything before you walk into that room."

Harry sighed deeply. "It's not even my story to tell."

"You got directly involved." Hermione pointed out. "It's yours now."

He seemed to mull this over for a moment as he began to pull his robes back on. "I'll think about it."

"I think you'd better." Hermione said, her mouth a hard white line.

͠

"Madame Snape, will you be at the International Ball?" A fourth year Slytherin girl looked at her curiously.

It was a Hogsmede weekend and Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had been allowed to mingle with the other students since there had been no attacks outside the school. Hermione shared a cup of tea with Blaise while Ginny and Luna ran off to catch up on gossip with their classmates.

She sat down the cup of tea she had been sharing with Blaise. "Yes. Professor Snape will be there as well."

She looked abashed. "Oh. Okay."

"What's wrong with her going, Amanda?" Blaise asked curiously.

"My mother wanted to know." She blushed deeply.

"You tell your mother if she wants to be a nosy busybody do it on her own time and keep it away from the school. It's highly inappropriate, but that does seem to be one of her strong points, isn't it?" Blaise said snootily.

The girl suppressed a giggle and ran off.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Her mother being a silly bitch." Blaise snorted as he sipped at his tea. "We're third cousins. The woman is useless."

"That wasn't very nice." Hermione laughed as a group of seventh years ran by giggling mischeviously.

"I don't care. She irritates me and she knows it," Blaise said grumpily as he reached for a biscuit.

"Are you going?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'm going with Theo Nott. We're going to try and give our mothers a heart attack."

"You are not!" Hermione laughed.

"Oh, yes we are!" Blaise chuckled. "We figured we'd be needed if there were any incidents."

"That's a very good idea." Hermione nodded.

"Even if you think you should, don't back out," Blaise said warningly. "If you start backing down now it'll just get worse."

"Already making protective jewelry." Hermione grinned as she sipped at her cup. "And not just for rogue Death Eaters.

"I hear it's been getting rough. That's why I'm bringing back up," Blaise admitted.

"Think there's going to be a fight over you?" Hermione teased.

"Probably not, but I'm lucky enough to be clueless and wandering around in search of a canapé when the hexes start flying," Blaise snorted.

"Is your mother coming?" Hermione asked in what she hoped was a polite voice.

"She's scoping out a new husband in Jamaica. I doubt she'll be back." He sounded disgusted.

"You'll be thankful for women that like elderly men when you're older." She chuckled. "One day she's going to hear about the black widow rumors you're spreading around and you're going to be dead."

"I'm not a student anymore." Blaise shrugged. "Couldn't care less if people know now."

Hermione was lifting her cup to her lips when the yelling started.

The pair jumped up from their chairs, running away from the café and towards the disturbance.

There was a mob of students standing around, but when Hermione and Blaise fought their way to the center, they were surprised to see two adults fighting. A broken wand lay on the ground nearby.

Hermione groaned as she recognized a face.

"Mundungus Fletcher, what have you done this time?" Hermione sqwalked as she waved her wand and the pair was pulled apart.

Blaise broke up the students as they made disappointed noises and scowled at the councilers.

"He's selling fake protections!" A squat, white haired man accused. "Those trinkets don't even have a whisper of magic about them!"

Hermione rounded on Mundungus and he cringed at the expression on her face. "What have you been up to?" She demanded.

"Just some novelty items," Mundungus said, already cowering. "The sir mistook them for—"

"I didn't mistake your intentions!" The man yelled. "You're making coin off these poor, terrified children!"

A third year that hadn't strayed far made a rude noise.

Hermione threw the student a look before turning back to the men. "Mundungus, give him back his money and whatever else you've taken today. We'll refund the Hogwarts students and donate the rest to St. Mungo's. End of discussion. Hand it over."

The small man handed over a small leather bag and gave her a deep scowl before he Disapperated.

Hermione shook her head in disgust. "How much does he owe you?" she asked the white-haired man.

The man licked his lips as he looked at the bag, but at a glare from Hermione he admitted to a single galleon. She refunded it to him before she pocketed it and turned to Blaise.

"I see this becoming a bigger problem very quickly."

͠

"What a horrible little man!" Nyssa cried out as Hermione retold the story. She rounded on Asta. "See! This is what men do!"

"Not always!" Asta snorted. "Severus isn't like that! Albus isn't like that!"

"There's going to be plenty of this cropping up," Hermione said grimly. "I hear Bill Weasley has had his hands full breaking curses on jinxed items when he should be working on antiquities."

"See!" Nyssa said, looking triumphant. "Wasting time! Wasting resources! On what? Nonsense!"

"What am I missing?" Hermione looked at Asta.

"There have been talks of where Mikhail and I would live if things proceed. I'm too valuable to be romping around, they say." Asta looked sad.

"What?" Hermione blustered. She rounded on Nyssa. "Like a slave? Like a commodity? What would the Jotun think, what would they do if they knew that's how she was being treated?"

"They're back in their mountain and we're keeping her safe. What do they know?" Nyssa said coolly.

"I think they'll know plenty if your prophecy brings us back to them!" Hermione's chin stuck out stubbornly.

Nyssa threw her hands up in frustration and stormed from the room.

"Well, you won that round," Ginny commented as she stirred her cauldron. Thin wisps of smoke were rising from it and she was beginning to look distressed. She stirred faster.

"I did?" Asta looked at Hermione curiously.

"You did." Hermione said firmly. "You should be able to do what you want. You haven't broken any laws. You aren't a prisoner."

"Sophia suggested I see more of the world before I make a decision," Asta admitted, the tips of her hair blushing blue.

"What does she suggest?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"All of the attacks at Hogwarts have been primitive." Asta sprinkled a pinch of chopped grass into a cauldron and it hissed at her. "They would not be a match for my natural talents."

"Hogwarts is outsourcing?" Ginny said in a mocking tone. "What's the world coming to?"

"I think it's a good opportunity for you." Luna, who had been silent until now, looked up from her neatly bottled potions. "I love studying with the Amazons. It's an amazing challenge." Asta beamed at her, the tips of her hair crackling with electric excitement. "But I'd rather finish my last year at Hogwarts and join properly instead of having it as a supplemental while we're on house arrest."

Asta nodded, as if she were rolling the idea around in her head. "It can be hard, living between two worlds."

"Exactly," Ginny said, but that's the point.

"What is the point?" Asta asked, a confused expression on her face.

"Getting a good look before you decide what path is right for you."

Asta sighed. "Sometimes it's a matter of fighting your way to even get a glimpse of them."


	41. Chapter 41

Marriage Law Chapter 41

Severus frowned at Hermione. "I fail to see why this is 'good news.'"

"Because Asti will root out the trouble in no time and have some space to think about things. For all we know, she's rushing into things with this boy from the Brotherhood because she thinks she might not get another chance!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "Bit of fresh air and change of scenery to clean out the cobwebs, as it were."

Severus snorted. "This could blow up in all of our faces."

"It was Dumbledore's idea!" Hermione crossed her arms at her husband.

"Oh, that makes it all better," Severus snapped. "Because his plans always go so bloody well!"

"Don't swear!" Anastasia's voice rang out from a nearby room in the Snape Estate.

He blinked, irritated.

"Would you rather she sparks off another war with the Amazons and the Brotherhood?" Hermione snapped.

"Well, then at least everyone will be busy as we sneak off and _stay out of it!"_ Severus bellowed.

"Anna. Would. Murder. You." Hermione spelled out for her daft husband.

He looked taken aback. Then he paled. "Why is it always me?" His voice had a whining ring to it.

"Because you have such a big heart and were born to do the right thing," Anastasia fawned as she strode into the room, a tea service floating behind her.

"A little privacy, please?" Severus tried to stare down his mother, but she waved him off.

"I know when an argument is over. You should learn. It would save you many troubles." She pushed him and he fell back into an armchair. "The deed has been done. It was over both of your heads. Your wife is in a position to keep an eye on things. What more do you want?"

"How about a little silence about all this and some civilized conversation to enjoy with our tea?" Jacob said sternly as he walked into the room, a newspaper under one arm.

"I couldn't agree more," Anastasia said in a sing-song voice that had a hint of warning to it.

Hermione and Severus both grumbled before settling in for their tea. Jacob rolled his eyes at the pair.

"Where did Ginny and Luna run off to?" Hermione asked curiously.

"They went with Svetlana to Yuri's establishment." Anastasia said as she poured some tea. "Something about… Russian Pixies? Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Hermione bit back a laugh. "I think I might have."

"Well, it sounded much like our Crumple-Horned Snorkack excursions," Anastasia said dismissively. "I'm sure they'll have fun getting into Yuri's hair."

"As long as they're not here creating havoc I don't care what they're hunting," Severus grumbled.

Jacob snorted. "I'm going to love to see what you're like as a father."

Anastasia batted him on the shoulder. "Snape men mellow with age. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful father once they get a little older and more settled."

Hermione inwardly let out a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't have to worry about pressure to be a mother on top of everything else.

"Get a dog instead," Jacob said in a loud whisper, as if Anastasia couldn't hear him. "Less bother and you can train them to fetch your slippers."

Anastasia smacked him a little harder this time. Hermione giggled in spite of herself.

Crookshanks, who had padded in after the tea service made a disgruntled noise.

"This one would never allow it." Severus sniffed and was rewarded with a swath of orange fur on the leg of his pants.

"No, he probably wouldn't, would he?" Anastasia bent down to ruffle Crookshanks fur and he was more than happy to let her do it. "Just like your father. Doesn't like to share any attention, do you?"

"I am not the cat's father!" Severus snapped, but his mother just gave Hermione a weary look.

Hermione shrugged and Severus gave her a disgusted look.

"Well, I am yours and we have some deciding to do," Jacob interjected as he reached for the sugar. "Like all of this Ball nonsense."

Anastasia gave him a look. "All of this Ball nonsense is what separates us from the other families. It shows that our line is strong and wise. That we are powerful!"

Jacob snorted.

"And that's why we were chosen to dance in the Lords' Procession," Anastasia finished.

"Oh, Gods, mother! How much did that cost?" Severus blurted out.

"Not a cent!" Anastasia said hotly. "It is because of who we are."

"Or rather, who _you _are," Jacob said to Severus and Hermione. "It's always been prestigious to have war heroes on the procession. Shows they were good enough to make it through a battle with enough limbs and senses afterwards to shake a tail feather on the dance floor."

Hermione tried not to choke at the last statement.

"Either way: you were chosen, you are _not_ declining, and you need practice. Madame Natasha will be over this evening to look you over." Anna nodded firmly.

"That mad old bat is still alive?" Severus exploded.

"She is alive and well," Anastasia said in a warning tone. "You will treat her with the respect and courtesy she's due!"

"What about me? I'm a war hero now." Severus said as he scowled at his mother.

"Both of you, stop it!" Jacob reached for a scone. "Stacy, stop nagging him. Severus, stop upsetting your mother. I don't want to hear a peep until I get to the Quidditch section!" He snapped his newspaper open for emphasis.

Both grumbled, but the room was silent except for the clink of porcelain and the turning of pages.

"Erm…" Hermione hazarded. "Who is Madame Natasha?"

"The family dance instructor. She's been making us look noble and cultured for decades," Anastasia explained. "She's tough, but you'll look wonderful."

"If she doesn't break your feet first," Severus grumbled. "Look out for that staff of hers."

"It was only a toe and it was because you were acting like a twelve year old!" Anastasia snapped.

"I _was_ a twelve year old!"

"I give up!" Jacob snapped his paper shut. He piled a small plate with cakes and sandwiches and stood up, reaching for his cup of tea.

"Oh, don't be like that!" Anastasia pouted.

"I'm not taking meals with you two until this is all sorted out. I'm an old man and my heart can't take it anymore!"

Both Anastasia and Severus snorted, causing Hermione to bite her lips so she didn't laugh.

"I'll be in my study, should war break out," Jacob announced before marching out of the room. Hermione secretly wished she could join him.

"Three o'clock!" Anastasia snapped as she rose to her feet. "She'll be waiting in the Ballroom. Don't be late!"

Severus groaned.

͠

Hermione watched as Severus tried to stare down the tiny woman.

"I'll not let you treat me like a child, I am a grown man!" Severus said in a low, warning tone.

The woman rapped him hard in the shin with an oak staff and Hermione winced as he doubled over. "Then act like one!"

She focused her attentions at Hermione and squinted. Hermione tried not to shrink back at the woman's scrutiny.

"You danced with Viktor Krum at the Yule Ball." It was a statement, not a question.

Hermione nodded.

"Two-left feet." The woman scowled.

"Well, it's not like I had more than an hour of instruction." Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"Your family are Muggles." Again, it was a statement. "Not bad for an hour. There's hope, yet."

Hermione didn't know why she felt as pleased as she did.

"You remember the Ukrainian Waltz, don't you?" Her attention swung back to Severus.

"Of course," Severus ground out between clenched teeth.

"First position. On three. One, two…"

͠

"That woman is certifiably insane!" Severus thundered as Hermione lay on her bed, laughing.

The door opened and Ginny and Luna wandered in.

"What's your mum done now?" Ginny asked curiously.

"We had our first dance lesson," Hermione said, still giggling. "God save us all!"

"She one of the crazy ones?" Ginny chortled.

"Absolutely," Severus said silkily. "And she's scheduled an appointment for the pair of you Saturday afternoon."

"Ha, ha." Ginny made a face at him, but he still looked delighted. "You're not kidding are you?"

"This may be better than handing out detentions!" Severus said gleefully.

"As long as you know the Ukrainian Waltz and something called the Bigby Shuffle you'll do fine." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Merlin's Beard, what is this? 1932?" Ginny made a face. "You've got to be kidding."

"Miss Lovegood may be able to avoid her wrath, but if Harry's taking you as a partner you're going to be expected to perform better than the rest of us." Severus smirked.

"Harry can't go!" Hermione squeaked. "He's in prison!"

"But he's still a hero in the eyes of the people," Severus said bitterly. "He's cooperative, unarmed, and would be in a place with the best security on the planet. They'll find a way to get him there."

"Because that doesn't sound like a recipe for disaster," Hermione said sarcastically.

"You remember the steps from Madame Jones' Trotting Tots, don't you?" Luna asked Ginny.

"Of course I do." Ginny began giggling. "She had us jumping about as soon as we could walk, didn't she?"

"No way our mums could resist the little tutu's she made for us." Luna smiled serenely.

"You were in dance class?" Hermione burst out laughing at her friends.

"Oh, it was the thing to do fifteen years ago," Luna explained. "They dropped us off for an hour and ran off to Diagon Alley to get their shopping done."

"But we did learn all the traditional dances." Ginny shrugged. "Even if we never went further than toddler classes."

"Well, bully for you!" Severus crossed his arms and scowled.

"If you're so worried about your shins, charm your pants next time," Hermione said as if this were the obvious solution.

Severus gave her an irritated look, as if this had never occurred to him before.

"Listen, there are four of us. We can practice together and then Natasha will have less to complain about, won't she?" Luna pointed out.

"I suppose so," Hermione said slowly. "As long as we don't pick up each other's 'bad habits.'"

"Oh, she's one of _those_, is she?" Ginny groaned.

"Why would you think anything else? Luna asked.

"Because we're a faraway land and berserk dance instructors aren't supposed to exist." Ginny said grumpily.

"You're in Russia." Severus said with a disapproving look. "You're in the land of berserk dance instructors. Get over it and watch your shins."

"I think she just has it out for you." Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it with you two?"

"She thinks I should have gone to the ballet instead of to Hogwarts. Considers it a colossal waste of time and talent." Severus sighed as if trying to remain calm.

"Well, I think you make a fine Potions instructor," Luna said reassuringly. Severus began to relax and nod at her. "But I still think you should sing your lessons. It would make class far more interesting."

Ginny and Hermione laughed as Severus scowled at Luna.

"I'm sure you'll all do fine!" Anastasia swooped into the room. "Hermione, Madame Natasha was impressed you learn so quickly!"

Ginny snorted. "Tell us something we don't already know."

"The rest of you have appointments after dinner this evening." Anastasia announced to a chorus of groans.

"You're letting that woman back in the house after what she did to me?" Severus demanded.

"Yuri and Svetlana need lessons as well." Anastasia made a face at her son. "You two will be in the spotlight, but the others need to know what they're doing as well."

"Well, I don't want to look like a fool in front of the world," Luna said firmly, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Anastasia assured her. "But we still have to go shopping for the pair of you!"

Luna looked mildly surprised, but Ginny blushed a deep red. "I—I'm not sure—"

"The Ministry will be paying for your wardrobes, of course," Anastasia said haughtily. "Designers are already clamoring for your attentions. I have several brochures for you to look over. The owls have already started coming with them."

"Oh!" Ginny breathed. "Really?"

"You should see the samples some of the jewelers have sent," Anastasia said with a twinkle in her eye.

"I think your lives are about to change forever," Severus said, tilting his chin down at Ginny. "The war was one thing, but this is the high-society aftermath and it's about to get ugly."


	42. Chapter 42

"It's been there for some time." Asta frowned. "Decades, at least."

"What are you talking about?" Snape asked snippily as he stared at the dagger planted into the statue in front of his quarters. "It can't have been!"

"Put you hand on it, you daft boy!" Asta snipped.

Severus looked surprised, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." The tips of Asta's hair turned blue.

"We're all under a lot of stress." McGonagall put her hand on the girl's back and she took a deep breath.

Severus hesitated before he put his hand on the statue in front of his quarters. He frowned. "It was charmed not to reveal itself until the caster died."

"I'll bet it was one of the men that died during the battle at the Ministry." Asta shook her head. "Charms that have been in place for a long time tend to hang on awhile, even after the caster is gone."

"What about the darts?" Flitwick demanded in a high squeaky voice.

"Probably the same idea, if not the same person." Asta shrugged. "It's clear the castle is under attack, but who set the traps, we may never know." She shook her head. "I'll try to find and remove them, but I may need some help. Hogwarts is a big castle and there's no telling if all the traps are inside. I'm sorry."

"You can't be blaming yourself," McGonagall said firmly. "We don't even know if it was all done by one person. It could have been all placed in the seventies by Voldemort's first band of followers."

"That was in no way his first group of followers," Blaise snorted. "Just the first to get attention."

They all looked at him and he looked uncomfortable. "My father told me _his_father practically groomed him to be a Death Eater. Not that he ever was."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Asta said automatically. "Your grandfather was killed at the Ministry, wasn't he?"

"He was encapsulated and died when he fell to the ground. He was too old and frail to be fighting anything, let alone Jotun." Blaise snorted. "We should ask Theo if he knows more than me."

"You'd think he would come forward anyway." Asta frowned.

"People get funny when it comes to family," McGonagall said gently. "He may think he could find it all and stop it himself."

"Or he could know nothing at all," Blaise piped up.

"I have a supply of Verita—"

"We are not going around dosing staff unless we have a firm suspect," McGonagall said seriously. "And right now none of our staff is under suspicion."

"Let's hope it stays that way." Flitwick said darkly.

۞

Severus entered the dining room in Russia and snickered as his eyes fell upon Hermione and her friends.

"Severus—"

"Mother, I swear it wasn't me this time," Severus said innocently.

"Like we haven't heard that before," his father said with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"The students insisted Asta be sorted since she is attending several classes."

The girls looked at each other. "Ravenclaw," they said as a whole.

"Hufflepuff." Severus smirked.

"Ooh, she could use some friends," Ginny said.

"She has a lot of friends with the Amazons." Luna looked surprised.

"No. She has a lot of people telling her what to do because they will benefit." Ginny picked at her bread. "She needs to be with people that don't have an opinion."

"Yet." Hermione added. "Who don't have an opinion _yet.__"_

"Well, it will do her some good to get out of that stuffy tower, anyway," Anastasia said as she waved her wand and a chair pulled itself out for her son.

"I'm just glad she's someone else's headache." Severus snorted as he sat and swept his napkin over his lap.

"How do you figure?" Hermione asked curiously.

"When she was here we were responsible for anything and everything that happened to her. At the castle she'll be looked after as if she were a student." Severus waved his wand and food magically began serving itself.

His mother slapped his wand hand and gave him an exasperated look. "None of that foolish wand waving at the table!"

The girls dissolved into giggles as he glared at them.

"The school did a good enough job looking after Harry." Ginny hazarded. "I'm sure it's fine for Asta. So far the only one that wants to get hold of her is her boyfriend."

"She's a grown woman; she shouldn't need looking after at all." Hermione frowned.

Severus paused for a moment before beginning to cut his meat. "There are rumblings about that. I have no idea what's going on so don't ask me."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"When you first met her she was very child-like." It was a statement and Hermione nodded in agreement. "Now she acts like a sixth or seventh year."

"Sometimes older," Hermione pointed out. "But she could just be very shy and as she gets more comfortable with us her personality comes out."

"That's not what I got from the gleam in her eye when she drank up our experiment," Severus said with a quirked eyebrow as he picked up his fork. "She looked like Ronald at your first Hogwarts Feast, double fisting chicken legs."

Hermione laughed at the memory. "I'll give you that much."

"I think she should be observed more," Luna said as if she were fascinated. "Especially after the way she went after Mikhail. It was almost like she was triggered into burgeoning maturity."

Anastasia looked impressed. "What a group of brilliant young ladies we have at our table! You'll all be the talk of society!"

"They shouldn't be worrying about primping and presentation when they could be studying or experimenting!" Severus snorted through his mouthful of food. "What a complete waste of time and energy! We'd be along further than we are if people paid as much attention to potions and spell work as they do those beauty rags I keep confiscating!"

"That's going to lead to an eventual mutiny, you know." Ginny took a mouthful of soup before she shook her head at him.

"You'd be better off giving them back to the offenders' Head of Houses and let them take care of it instead of whatever you're doing with them." Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "What _are_ you doing with them?"

"Incinerating them," Severus said coolly.

"Oh, you're going to get hexed for sure." Hermione chuckled. "Those are expensive."

"Then they should be tucked away in book bags during class."

"If he gives them back to their Heads of Houses what does he do with the Slytherins?" Luna asked.

"No Slytherins would be caught doing such an inappropriate thing—"

There was a unified snort from all the females at the table.

"Well, there isn't any evidence of it, at least," Severus said grumpily.

"So they're still using the bubble charm under their desks?" Ginny said coolly. "Scrambles up regular magic scans."

Severus worked his jaw for a moment before beginning to eat, ignoring her.

"Is he always like this?" Anastasia asked.

"Worse." The girls echoed as a whole. Severus threw them a dirty look.

"So what about this Asta?" Jacob asked curiously. "She's been sorted, but she's not a student?"

"They're acting like she's a consultant." Severus shrugged. "I know she's been sitting in on some Herbology and Transfigurations classes so she's learning something while she's there, at least."

"Is she sleeping in the Hufflepuff common room?" Ginny scrunched her face up.

"She's got more freedom than that, although there's no Floo hook-up in her quarters. The Amazons thought it best," Severus said flatly.

"That's just ridiculous!" Hermione blurted out. "She's a grown woman!"

"But she might not be! We just don't know and our Care of Magical Creatures teacher is Hagrid." Severus hissed. "Need I say more?"

"There's got to be some way of finding out," Luna said dreamily. "They must have measured her growth from the time she appeared. There's something to start on."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "That does seem like something they would do. She certainly is acting like a moody teenager."

"I think this young lady should do what she wants." Anastasia said with a note of finality.

"You're going to have to get the Amazons to agree with that." Severus snorted.

"I don't think so," Anastasia said in a strangely high voice.

Severus was silent for a moment while he appraised his mother. "You know what? I just don't want to know."

"Probably better if you don't." Jacob snorted. "Probably better if none of us do."

"Do you need help?" Hermione asked.

Severus groaned. "I think your underground friend will need you soon. You might want to keep yourself free."

"What's going on with Harry?" Ginny asked quickly.

"The Ministry is reopening some old Muggle murder cases because of something she found, that's all I know. I don't even know what it is."

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out.

"Veritaserum works both ways, you know," Ginny said in a low voice.

"Don't you go dipping into my stores!" Severus looked flustered. "It's true. I _don__'__t_ know. And don't waste my potions!"

"She has her own, now," Hermione snorted. "But we're not going to start dosing each other for spite. Knock it off. Both of you."

"Thinks must be getting exciting at Hogwarts," Luna said thoughtfully. "Halloween is next week."

"They're trying to keep things low-key under the circumstances," Severus said with a shrug.

"I don't see why." Ginny shrugged. "No one's actively setting off traps and decorations might catch things like those darts before they reach people."

"Or set them off while decorations are set in place." Severus raised his eyebrows at the food on his plate. "I'd hate to see a petrified person fall off a ladder."

Hermione winced. "I thought you said most of the students were using those body-armor charms."

"They are, for the most part. The fifth years were eager to learn more about self-protection so Professor Flitwick had them make a store for the school."

"Then why do some people not have them?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Several of the Slytherins believe they are immune—"

"Seriously?" Hermione gave him an exasperated look. "After everything?"

Severus shrugged. "You underestimate Slytherin stubbornness."

"See them get poked with a dart and pop out in boils. Then we'll see who's immune." Ginny was darkly amused.

"Thankfully, it looks like most of the spells were sixth year-level." Severus took a bite of a dinner roll. "Some of them were quite crude, as if the person was flustered or afraid of getting caught."

"I'd call that flustered, yea," Ginny said with a snort. "Dumbledore would be really angry if he found out someone was messing with the magicks on the castle."

Severus shuddered. "I wouldn't like to think of what would have happened back then."

"Wait, wouldn't it have been someone you knew? They would have been a couple of years younger than you." Ginny turned to look at him.

"I know you see me as a social butterfly, Miss Weasley, but believe it or not I didn't know every Death Eater at Hogwarts," Severus said sarcastically.

"Mrs. Potter," Luna and Hermione said in unison. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Have you any word from the Ministry, dear?" Anastasia asked Ginny.

"Nothing from them, but I did get an owl from Kingsley that sounded promising. They're going to try something this weekend that might break at least part of the curse." Ginny admitted.

"What is it?" Severus looked suspicious and Jacob's ears pricked up.

"Something about trying to remove some of the magical shrapnel." Ginny scrunched up her face and shrugged. "It was all over my head."

"I'd like to look that letter, if I may. I was always a bit of a dabbler in experimental magic." Jacob looked interested.

"No, you may not!" Anastasia frowned at him. "Last time you destroyed three rooms and I had to have everything redecorated!"

"Oh, heaven forbid!" Jacob put his hand over his heart. "Forced to have a shopping spree. I'm sure you hated that!"

"You could have _died_!" Anastasia fumed.

"I was fine!" Jacob pooh-poohed her.

"Experimental magic is more dangerous than you think," Luna said wistfully. "My mother blew herself to bits. Well, ground herself down to sand, actually."

Hermione turned green as Jacob and Anastasia looked surprised.

"That could just be a transfiguration gone wrong!" Jacob pointed out. "I hope you kept all the sand!"

"After I saw my first thestral father finally admitted she really was gone. He had her made into a ring." Luna said dreamily.

"What!" Hermione squeaked.

"There's a wizard in Hungary that does it. You send him remains and he heats them and there's some spells he layers on top of it. It's really very clever." Luna nodded. "She's a diamond now. Quite pretty, but father says she was more beautiful when she was alive."

"Amazing." Jacob said as he nodded his head. "The clever things they're doing now."

"I'm not having any more experimental magic in this house unless someone oversees you!" Anastasia looked at him crossly. "I don't care if I get a shopping spree and a pretty, new ring!" She pouted prettily. "And someone official! Not just Severus or the girls!"

"What about Pieter or Anna?" Jacob suggested. "They both excel at experimental magic!"

"If you leave their children orphans I will murder you in your sleep," Anastasia said coolly.

"How about he just sits in with the Amazons when they come to tutor the girls?" Hermione suggested.

"Aren't you one of us?" Ginny asked sarcastically.

"I'm out of Hogwarts. While the extra learning is amazing I'm not being graded." Hermione pointed out.

"We're being _graded!__"_ Ginny sqwalked.

"Well, of course you are, dear," Anastasia said as she passed Severus a bowl of small potatoes. "Since the Amazons are working with the Ministry they're close enough to make sure you're getting at least as much as you were from Hogwarts. It would be a shame to have an incomplete seventh year."

Ginny looked at Hermione.

"Don't look at me! I had to finish the year with all that marriage nonsense!" Hermione squeaked.

Severus chuckled at the sight of his mother's expression.

"But it was your decision!" Anastasia blustered. "The two of you!"

Hermione blinked for a moment. Then she looked at her husband. "You didn't _tell_ her!"

Severus winced and Ginny and Luna brightened.

"Tell me what?" Anastasia snapped, glaring at her son.

"I was really petitioned for," Hermione said hesitantly. "I had no idea. We didn't even like each other. It was the only way they could protect me from the Death Eaters."

"And you didn't know?" Anastasia looked horrified.

"Not until the scroll arrived the morning of the ceremony." Hermione winced.

Anastasia went pale and began to fan herself.

"And after a summer, you got her?" Jacob nodded at his son with an impressed look. "Good job!"

Luna and Ginny started laughing as Severus and Hermione turned red.

"So when did the falling in love happen?" Anastasia asked weakly.

"The snazzy date when they saw Faust!" Ginny piped up.

Anastasia swooned as Jacob burst out laughing.

"How romantic!" She breathed.

Severus grumbled at his father who only laughed harder.

"What if things hadn't worked out?" Anastasia asked.

"We'd have gotten it annauled." Hermione shrugged.

"No wonder your father was so upset." Jacob mused as he looked at Severus thoughtfully.

Luna snorted. "There was never any doubt. They even had a betting pool."

Jacob roared until tears fell from his eyes. "Master of your own destiny? I'd say you're just along for the ride, my son!"

"Don't worry," Anastasia said, patting her son on the shoulder. "So is he."


	43. Chapter 43

Asta hurried down a hallway, two Hogwarts' students trailing after her.

"What if you're wrong?" A girl with light red hair in a long braid held a stack of books to her chest as she hurried along.

"What if I'm right?" Asta said in a panicked voice.

"If you're right then we've cracked the pattern," the other girl said helpfully. She had narrow eyes, high cheekbones, and dusty brown hair in a pixie cut.

Asta pulled a door open and Snape's booming voice stopped lecturing his students faded. "May I help you?"

"You're about to do a Juniper Tonic?" Asta asked.

"You may sit in if you like," Severus said in a low growl.

"Are you using berries from the UK or the continent?" Asta asked quickly.

"The imported berries were reduced, but I hardly—"

"Everybody out!" Asta said in a panicked voice. "Move it!" She looked at Severus. "You too!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Severus thundered as the students fled the classroom.

"I need to search your classroom. Now," Asta said seriously.

"Have you found a pattern?" Severus frowned and tried to ignore the two lingering Hufflepuffs.

"It was in a book in the Restricted Section," the red haired girl nodded furiously. "It doesn't tell you how to preform spells. It's why it was overlooked."

"What is it?" Severus' eyes narrowed,

"The Memoirs of Luken the Awful," the girl with the pixie cut piped up. "I was reading it for a Defense Against the Dark Arts project."

"And what did you find?" Severus asked, his voice low.

"The order the spells have been going off. They're in the same order as the ones that are listed in this book." The red-haired girl said quickly.

"I hardly think—"

"And the page numbers correspond with the rooms the traps are in. It doesn't count by level, it counts by columns. All the rooms are stacked perfectly on top of each other. You start with third level of the dungeons because that was as far down as the classrooms went in the 70's." Asta added. "It should be an Iotikos spell. The chemical characters from the berries from the continent are different than the ones from here. "It might not go off, but I'd really like to take a look before a poison gas kills us all."

Severus stared at the trio of Hufflepuffs for a moment before crossing his arms. "Fine. I'll be sure to let all the other students know who's responsible for all the extra work they'll have to do in order to catch up on lost class time."

"You can thank me later," Asta said sarcastically as he stormed from the room.

* * *

"What exactly are we looking at?" Dumbledore looked at Asta over his steepled fingers.

"There are thirty-two more spells listed in the book, but I don't think he got that far." Asta screwed up her face.

"How can you say that with any certainty?" McGonagall frowned, the brim of her hat dipping.

"Because the last spell would be in here and we've searched it top to bottom. Everything seems right." Asta tilted her head.

"He's got a whole cabinet of experimental doo-dads back there!" Flitwick squeaked. "He doesn't know what a fraction of them do!"

"In a cabinet so well guarded an atomic bomb could go off in it the worse that would happen is that it might creak quietly!" Asta seemed flustered.

"The next to the last is clear as well." The girl with the pixie cut said with a huff.

"You went looking at it without anyone else?" Asta squeaked. "Don't do that again!"

"There wasn't anything there. Literally. It was an empty classroom with a bunch of broken chairs piled up against one wall." The girl with the braid shrugged.

Dumbledore exchanged looks with his staff.

"Is there something I'm missing?" Asta asked.

"That would be the old Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom," Severus hissed. "We'd always blamed it on a scared pupil and wild magic. I told you something wasn't right, Dumbledore."

"Did the floor come alive to devour the children?" Asta asked huffily.

"No, it didn't," McGonagall said reassuringly.

"Then it wasn't trapped by this guy." Asta shook her head.

"Well, that's some relief, at least," said Professor Sprout, who had been quiet up until now. "I know my classrooms are fine. They were built about a decade ago."

"I'm glad to her we have one less thing to worry about." Dumbledore beamed. "We'll cancel classes for the rest of the day and ban the students from the classrooms. "I'll summon some Aurors and we can have everything sorted out by Monday. Good job, ladies! Fifty points to Hufflepuff! Each!"

The girls gasped before they squeaked with repressed joy. They thanked everyone profusely before making their way out, leaving the Heads of House alone in the office.

"Don't you think that was a bit excessive, Headmaster?" Severus asked, visibly annoyed.

"Oh, stuff it, Severus!" Professor Sprout said happily. "The school will be safe by Monday. Hopefully this means the last remnant of the Death Eaters will be purged from the castle."

"I applaud your enthusiasm, Professor Sprout," Dumbledore said as he sat up straight before standing. "But I don't think it will be that easy to rid ourselves of nearly a hundred years of contamination. The traps from this person will be gone, but what about others? What about ones that haven't been placed yet?"

"Albus!" McGonagall breathed in sharply. "What have you—"

"I haven't heard anything, Minerva," Dumbledore reassured her. "But that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet."


	44. Chapter 44

"Are you sure this is what you want, dear?" Anastasia looked at the trio of girls worriedly.

"I'm sure, Mrs. Snape," Ginny said firmly as she hugged Hermione and Luna. "I'd rather be closer to Harry right now."

"Of course you would, dear," Anastasia said. "But are you sure it's safe?"

"As safe as Hogwarts ever is." Ginny snorted. "Plus I have some of the best anti-curse jewelry you can get thanks to the Amazons."

"Nyssa was really disappointed when she heard you were going back," Luna said dreamily. "She said you had a lot of promise."

Ginny laughed. "She'd say anything to keep us away from Hogwarts—"

"And men in general," Hermione said grumpily.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back, Luna?" Ginny asked. "I mean, Hermione's finished and all, but you still have a year to go."

"I think I'm a better fit with the Amazons." Luna wrinkled her nose. "They know far more about rare magical creatures than Hogwarts does."

"I bet they do." Ginny agreed as they hugged. "I'll miss you all."

"Don't forget to owl us often." Hermione reminded her. "We want to know what's going on with Harry."

Ginny promised she would as she forced herself to smile when she backed into the fireplace.

Green flames leaped up and she was gone.

Luna and Hermione exchanged looks.

"What do you really think?" Luna asked Hermione.

"I think they should have consummated their marriage. The Ministry can say it's a sham and dissolve it." Hermione brooded.

"I wouldn't worry about that, if I were you." Anastasia sniffed. "Severus might be a pain at the best of times, but he has been raised right. He will see it done."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

Anastasia settled into the type of grin that made Hermione and Luna suspicious.

"What did you do?" Hermione demanded.

"I threatened to disconnect the Floo from the international network so he'll have to transfer all over again to get here." Anastasia sighed.

Hermione's jaw dropped as Luna started laughing.

"What?" Anastasia huffed.

"Well, it's nice to know where he got it from!" Hermione said snippily. Jacob's deep laugh came in from the direction of the dining room. She took it as an agreement.

Anastasia beamed as she kissed both of the girls on their cheeks and ran off to find her husband.

"You know," Luna pointed out. "If Severus got his mother's temperament this could be what he's going to be like later in life."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "God help us all."

0

"It must be good to be back." Asta and Ginny walked down a corridor at Hogwarts. Classes were over for the day and they had decided to go down to the lake to go over their Transfiguration notes.

"It is," Ginny admitted, but she felt guilty. "I think my parents would rather have me back at the estate."

"The castle is safe now," Asta reassured her. "I'm sure your father read the report Dumbledore sent off to the Ministry."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "But it's hard knowing Harry is down in the dungeons and I can't go see him."

"At least you're in the same building," Asta said grumpily.

"Well, you're getting owls pretty regularly now that Mikhail doesn't have to worry about the Amazons making a fuss over them," Ginny pointed out.

"True," Asta admitted. "He sent me a book on the Great War. The Brotherhood's version."

Ginny chuckled. "I bet the Amazons would have a fit about that."

Asta shrugged. "It's as biased as the Amazons. I'm fairly certain no one will ever know the truth."

"How do you know it's biased?" Ginny asked curiously.

"The words taste sour," Asta said, as if this made any sense.

"Hey, wait up!"

Ginny and Asta turned around to see the girl with the pixie cut followed by the red-haired girl.

"Ginny, this is Cat and Sarah. They're sixth years." Asta introduced them.

"You're the ones that figured out the trap pattern!" Ginny said as she gave them an impressed look.

"Sarah did it, really," the girl with the pixie cut said. "I just figured out how to disarm them."

"Still," Ginny said hesitantly. "Thanks. I wouldn't have been able to come back if they were still going off."

They made their way outside and winced at the bright sunlight. A chill wind swept by and they held their robes tighter as they hurried down to the shoreline.

They staked out an area as their own and Cat preformed a tricky little weather spell that stilled the air. It was still crisp, but the lack of wind made it pleasant.

Ginny began spinning small funnels of water out of the lake. She wiggled her wand and it began to take the rough shape of a bird.

"I know it's not a Hogwarts' event, but will you be going to the Ministry Ball?" Sarah asked Asta.

"I don't know," Asta admitted. "I know I'll be included if the Amazons decide to send representation, but if they don't—"

"Then we'll just have to get you in some other way," Cat said firmly.

"You can go as my date!" Sarah offered.

"Will we wear matching robes as well?" Asta laughed.

"We _could." _Sara sounded as if she were trying to tempt Asta.

"Your mother would die!" Cat laughed as she sank down to sit in the thick grass.

"As long as I keep dancing with Wilbur Hollysworth she won't care." Sarah snorted.

"She still going on about that?" Cat laughed.

"Well, at least she got off my back about Quidditch being unladylike." Sarah flopped down on the grass and lay on her back.

"Wouldn't do to sound as if you're insulting your son-in-law-to-be's mother," Cat said in a haughty tone.

"Gods, they'd have us married off today if they could." Sarah threw an arm over her face dramatically.

"You're lucky the Marriage Law was repealed," Asta said with a tilt of her head. "Or would you not have qualified?"

"I'm sure they would have found something to make me qualify," Sarah said grumpily.

They ducked as water in the shape of a bird flew over them; fat drops of water raining down on them whenever it flapped.

0

McGonagall beamed at Dumbledore as she walked to the head table in the Great Hall. Candy bats swooped over the tables and students grabbed at them when they came near. The suspended candles were set into jack o' lanterns and it gave the room a warm, orange glow. Laughter and the smell of good food filled the air. Hogwarts was back to normal.

She took her seat and giggled at Severus' expression as a jellied spider strode by and threw a legful of edible glitter onto his food.

"Oh, just let it go for once, Severus," she told him. "It finally feels like everything is back to normal."

"You can finally let loose!" Professor Sprout said in a jolly voice. Her cheeks were so pink Severus assumed she'd already gotten into the sherry. "Whatever will you do now that there's nothing to worry about?"

"I'll remind you that you said that last time." Severus sniffed as he poked at a glittery piece of meat.

She sighed as if he were a lost cause.

"Things are closer to normal," McGonagall pointed out. "If you even remember what normal was like."

Severus barked out a laugh. "Barely."

"Dumbledore wants to see you later," she said in a low voice. "Something about loose ends. He said I shouldn't worry myself, but you know how he is."

Severus nodded. Things are never normal again if you knew too much, but McGonagall was right. It was close.

0

Ginny whisked Harry's invisibility cloak over her shoulders as she hurried down a hallway of the castle. She stopped suddenly and held her breath as she heard voices, but they grew fainter as the owners went in another direction. Almost everyone was at the Halloween Feast or on their way. With everyone gathered in an excited crowd Ginny hoped no one would notice she was missing. She knew all of her worry would be gone once she got to her goal.

She let out her breath and continued down another flight of stairs. She turned down hallways until she saw a large, heavy door. It was cracked open and a sliver of light spilled out.

She opened it and smiled as her eyes fell on Harry. His face was bandaged and there were several marks on his body that looked as if they were healing.

"How are you doing?" she asked softly.

The lock clicked as she pushed the door shut behind her,

0

Dumbledore strode down a long stone hallway with a spring in his step and a grin on his face. As he got closer to his goal a faint banging sound got louder. His pace quickened as he pulled o0ut his wand and ran to the reinforced door that led to Harry's cell.

The door swung open and Dumbledore's eyes met Harry's. His bandages had been removed and his wounds still looked fragile and tender. The scar that had covered his forehead and then his face was gone, but the strange serpentine eyes still remained.

"I don't know! I don't know what happened, I swear!"

With a wave of his wand he opened the cell and went to the prone figure of Ginny Weasley, her body covered with a sheet and lying motionless in Harry's bed.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Harry sat sobbing in the waiting room of St. Mungo's, Molly's arm around his shoulders, when Hermione walked in.

She looked at Arthur, who was watching them helplessly. "What do they know?"

"They caught it before it burrowed into her system permanently. Experimental surgery." Arthur's voice sounded hollow.

"I know it's not the right time to bring it up, but I'm guessing the tests they did on Harry came up negative?" Hermione hazarded.

Harry barked out a laugh and sniffled. "One bit left and I shot it straight into her. I am so stupid."

"Oh, for pity's sake Harry, stop it!" Hermione ordered him as she ignored his words and transfigured a magazine into a box of tissues. "No one could have known! Not even the best wizards and witches of our time knew what was going on! They knew there was a scrap, but how were they to know it was transferrable?"

"I should never have touched her." Harry's face began to screw up again. "Never gone near her. I am so stupid."

"Will you stop saying that? What if someone comes out here with important information and you're falling to pieces? She is your wife. She needs you. Stop it!" Hermione looked furious with him. "And where's Ron?"

"He's handling the media. Doing a crack job of it, too." Arthur smiled as he sighed.

"Good." Hermione said.

"You know how much he's rubbing off on you, don't you?" Harry smirked at Hermione as he blew his nose. For the first time she could truly see his eyes and she breathed in as the brilliant green she was used to looked at her behind fogged frames.

"It happens in a marriage." Hermione shrugged. "Stop blaming yourself for… erm… rubbing off onto Ginny."

Harry burst out laughing and mopped at his messy face.

"That sounded a lot better in my head," Hermione muttered as Arthur put a reassuring arm about her shoulders and squeezed.

"I'm sure it did." Arthur chortled.

"He's lucky to have you, you know?" Harry asked her.

"Of course he does," she said with a sniff. "I tell him enough."

0

"How long did they say she'd be out for?" Neville pushed aside a pile of letters so Hermione could set down takeout containers. The letters were still coming into Grimmauld Place, but Ron had been working hard on press releases so Harry didn't have to keep stating the same things over and over. Most of the letters were tied into neat bundles according to subject.

"A couple days." Hermione shrugged. "Maybe more. How long until the Ministry lets Ron go?"

"About an hour." Neville grinned. "That reporter should never have accused Ron of the Weasleys using their daughter to get closer to Harry."

"I didn't think he had it in him." Hermione chuckled.

"I'm sure the reporters' jaw is fine. They took him straight to the hospital." Neville shrugged as he peered in a box. "At least Harry's better. Wonky possessions gone wrong can be a lot worse. Some bloke took out a whole building in the 1700's. Twelve families."

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.

"My long ago grandfather had a brother charged with hunting him down after he fled. Kept a journal." Neville pulled out something crispy and nibbled on it. "Is this cod?"

"Something new." Hermione smiled as she ripped open a sack of crisps for them to share.

"It isn't bad." Neville popped it into his mouth. "Anyway, there's already precedent in the Ministry for this. He has a restriction spell cast on his wand and a charmed chain to wear around his neck so they can track him."

"I thought it would be so much worse." Hermione let out her breath.

"Harry's a victim in this as well." Neville pointed out. "His whole thought process wha-whosit was hijacked."

"Ooh, so technical." Hermione teased.

"Well, anyway, it falls under the same laws as people under the influence of Imperius. He's not going to Azkaban." He shrugged.

"Oh, the papers are going to love that," Hermione said, her voice dripping with acid.

"They can love it all they want." Neville snorted. "It's the truth and it's not going to change because someone wants a scandal that isn't there."

"Looks like Ron's rubbing off on you." Hermione grinned.

Neville laughed. "Seems like there's an awful lot of rubbing off going on!"

Hermione burst out laughing as green flames leapt up in the fireplace. Ron walked through and his eyes fell on the food.

"Go ahead." Hermione sighed. "You haven't eaten in, what? A couple of hours? You're probably wasting away."

"You shut it," Ron said grumpily, but he began picking at the containers.

"What's with you?" Neville asked.

"They hit me with a huge fine and some of the reporters got pictures," Ron said grumpily.

"Good." Hermione said firmly, to everyone's surprise. "Now you know what it's like to be famous. Not all it's cut out to be, is it?"

Ron scowled at her but said nothing. He knew she was still sore about that tiny Easter egg from his mum. "Is there any news about Ginny?"

"She's still out," Hermione said wearily.

"She should be coming around by now, shouldn't she?" Neville asked.

"Oh, probably," Ron said as he peered into the crisp bag. "I'm sure they'll let us know what's going on."

0

Hermione tiptoed into the bedroom she shared with the other girls in Russia, but a curtain was pulled back and the room was flooded with light.

"Good grief, Luna!" Hermione spluttered as she staggered. "What are you doing in there?"

"Working on a permanent light spell." The light faded and Luna lifted the dark goggles from her eyes. "Thought I'd have a fancy necklace, too."

Hermione giggled and there was a groan from one of the other beds. "Is he sleeping in here?"

"He was waiting for you and reading, but he started snoring like an air raid siren about an hour ago." Luna admitted.

"I heard that," a sluggish voice called out. Another curtain was pulled to the side and Hermione saw her sleepy husband.

"Sleeping in the same room as a student?" Hermione said in mock horror. "The scandal."

"We have a guard in the room and I'm officially under the care of the Amazons now." Luna pointed out. "Father nearly fainted. Even he didn't think they were real."

Hermione laughed, but it sounded bitter. Luna looked at her suspiciously.

"Ginny came around, but something's not right. She's a lot weaker than she should be." Hermione screwed up her face.

"You can't expect things to always go according to plan." Severus yawned. "For now, be happy she's alive."

A chill went down Hermione's spine, as if someone had walked over her grave.

'_Be happy' for now, or 'she's alive' for now?_


	46. Chapter 46

"So when you found Potter, his eyes were still affected?" Kingsley rubbed his chin.

"I'm afraid so." Dumbledore looked grim.

"Have any idea what it means?" Kingsley asked hopefully.

"Not a clue," Dumbledore admitted.

"It could just be a residual?" McGonagall offered.

"I don't think we could ever be that lucky when it comes to Voldemort." Kingsley's eyes darkened. "We thought we were safe last time, as well."

"What do you suggest we do?" Dumbledore asked him.

"I think we should consult the Amazons and begin to seriously think about Plan D." Kingsley looked glum.

"You can't be serious—" McGonagall started, but she was cut off.

"We can't let him sift through all of wizardkind, looking for a host," Dumbledore said sharply.

"It's not even a part of him, exactly." Kingsley looked tired. "It's like a fragment of what corrupted him."

"Details." McGonagall waved him off. "Whatever it is, it needs to go."

"Which is why I think we need to—" Kingsley began.

"I don't want to think of that for the time being." Dumbledore said sharply.

"Well, we need to keep them apart, at least." McGonagall nodded firmly. "I don't care if they're married, we can't be running havoc every time they want to spend time together."

"I don't think you'll have any arguments from Harry," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "At least not for now."

0

"Oh, come on, Ginny," Hermione pleaded. "It's not forever!"

The curtain to Ginny's bed in the Russian estate whipped aside. "How do you know that? We only just got started!"

"Because I know there are at least three more plans before they have to start looking for other options." Hermione put her hands on her hips and tried not to look shocked at Ginny's appearance.

She was pale, far more than her normal fair, and her hair had gone several shades lighter. It had the consistency of straw, but Hermione guessed that could be fixed with a good scrub and conditioner.

Nyssa looked concerned in spite of herself, and exchanged looks with Luna. "I would say we have much work to do, but it's out of our hands. Busy hands calm a mind."

"Then what should we do?" Luna asked.

"We could start with a hair treatment." Hermione shrugged as Ginny glared at her. "Well, it's something practical to do. What else would you do?"

Ginny's shoulders sagged. "I have no idea."

0

"It was nice they let you come home," Neville offered.

Harry snorted as he looked down at the ankle bracelet.

"Better than nothing, mate," Ron pointed out.

"And at least you look normal now," Hermione added.

"Even need my glasses again." Harry sighed.

"It could have been so much worse, Harry." Hermione shook her head. "Ginny's back at the estate for now. I know there's talk of another plan, but I have no idea what it is."

"I think I might," Harry said sheepishly. "I was let in on the Amazon's prophecy, wasn't I?

"What does that have to do with anything?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"You may have to do some digging if what I think is true." Harry screwed up his face.

"Like, research?" Neville asked. "What's she supposed to research?"

"Atlantis and the Jotun." Harry took a deep breath. "Someone may have to go see them."

"They've been gone for centuries!" Hermione spluttered. "The door in the mountain closed. They're gone!"

"Do you really think creatures of chaos would only have one door?" Harry asked pityingly.

Hermione was silent as she mulled this over. "Probably not. The other door is under the sea?"

"I think it might be," Harry confessed. "I think there was a portal in Atlantis."

"Atlantis is long gone," Neville said with a strange look on his face.

"Takes more than a typhoon/volcano/hurricane to destroy an artifact of the gods." Harry said with a smirk as he glanced at Hermione.

"What, you don't know something?" Ron asked in mock shock. "Should I alert someone?" He was rewarded with a shove to his shoulder from Hermione.

"I'm also the Brotherhood and the Amazons aren't being entirely truthful about what they know," Harry said seriously. "I'd like to call a meeting, but I have no idea how to do it." He blushed a little.

"I can find out." Hermione shrugged. "I'll probably see Dumbledore before you do."

"I really didn't want to send an owl." Harry looked regretful. "It's too sensitive."

"I'll do what I can." Hermione and Ron both nodded.

0

They had been watching the purple flash for some time and Alexandra couldn't contain herself. She was grinning widely, much to Asta's amusement.

"How do you even know what it is?" Asta asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"It has no readings at all, it's in his favorite color, and the flashing coincides with mother's favorite song. The brighter purples are high notes and the darker the color, the lower the note." Alexandra said, as if the answer was obvious.

"You really are your father's daughter." Asta snorted. "Both daft."

Alexandra giggled as she ran to a pole with a seat attached. She hopped on it and the floor opened beneath her and she began to slide down the length of the watch post, Asta right above her. They zipped through several floors and they joined up to other people who were descending to the ground floor. They all dismounted and Asta followed Alexandra to the door that led to the drawbridge.

It took a dozen Amazons to lower the bridge, but they were easy to find since the drawbridge was off the main hall. Several were cranky because they were at the end of their day, but they all complied and the drawbridge was slowly lowered and Alexandra braced herself for the cold. Thankfully, it wasn't windy. She tugged on the back of her toga and fabric fell out of the folds, giving her access to a cloak that had been warded against the cold.

Her eyes followed the light until it reached the side of the drawbridge. The water steamed in the frigid air as a pure white shark rose to the surface, a glowing scroll case strapped to its dorsal fin.

She retrieved it and the shark continued to rise out of the water and onto the drawbridge. It transfigured itself into a dove that cooed at Alexandra.

It fluttered up to her and she cradled it under her cloak as she walked back to the Tower.

0

Misha was chasing Najda around the kitchen table when a giant black owl with glowing red eyes flew through the window and landed on a large perch. Pieter looked up from his newspaper and at the beast that was glaring at him. The children were staring at it in awe.

Pieter snorted as he got up from his seat to retrieve the letter it was carrying. "Always with the dramatics, Nikolai?"

As he opened the envelope the owl took flight and soared out, the children watching it with wide eyes as it went.

"What was that?" Misha asked quietly.

"A common owl with a charm on it," Pieter told his son. "In a few years you will be able to make your own fantastic transfigurations."

"And me too!" Najda exclaimed.

"A few years after Misha, you too!" He smiled as he scanned the letter. He sighed as he closed it. "I'm afraid that silly Nicolai is having another one of his fits. I will have to leave you at your Auntie Stacy's this afternoon."

"Yay!" the children exclaimed.

"Well, I am so sad that you will miss me so!" he said dramatically as they giggled. "I don't know how I will make it through!"

"We'll save you cake!" Misha cheered.

"I think that will do fine." Pieter beamed at his children. "We shall have a welcome home feast!"


End file.
